Crystal Palace showdown could seal a bleak future for Hull City

After an expected Swansea victory against Sunderland earlier today, which once again highlights just what a shocking result last weekend’s 2-0 defeat against David Moyes’ men really was, Hull City’s penultimate match of the season against Crystal Palace tomorrow lunchtime could prove a pivotal fork in the road for Hull City as a football club. A win could signal the start of a miraculous ‘great escape’, with Crystal Palace being pulled back into the relegation dog-fight heading into the final game of the season. A defeat, on the other hand, would confirm the Tigers’ much-mooted ‘inevitable’ relegation, with fans left fearing that a fate similar to those of Blackburn, Charlton and Blackpool could be on the cards. They don’t come much bigger than this.

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The situation, even if we were to win, would still appear bleak for the Tigers, as Palace would still have to lose at Old Trafford on the final day, while City would have to beat Spurs at the KCOM for Silva’s men to avoid the drop. However, as I discussed in this blog during the week, stranger things have certainly happened, with a Hull City victory tomorrow perhaps giving City a psychological edge going into the final weekend.

While formations, tactics and selections so often go straight out of the window during season-defining games like tomorrow’s, it almost seems a bit arbitrary to give my opinion on potential line-ups, but for what it’s worth, here’s my view:

Tom Huddlestone is a must start tomorrow, as City drink, for what could be the last time, in the Premier League’s last chance saloon. As I mentioned earlier this week, Silva will surely opt for his preferred 4-5-1 formation, and with Markovic injured, it is likely the impressive Sam Clucas will be moved onto the flank, and Huddlestone will start in the centre of the park. Providing Silva doesn’t spring any selection shocks, this would see a starting eleven of Jakupovic, Elmohamady, Maguire, Ranocchia, Robertson, Clucas, Huddlestone, N’Diaye, Grosicki, Evandro and Niasse – a team more than capable of recording just a second away win of the season at Selhurst Park tomorrow lunchtime.

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Hull City will be lifted by the news that Sam Allardyce’s Palace side are currently in the middle of an injury crisis, particularly in defensive areas. A crisis which saw the former England manager set-out with four full-backs across their defensive line last time out against Manchester City. Other than Manchester United, the Eagles are currently the ‘most injured’ squad in the Premier League, with the likes of Cabaye, Dann and Sakho all likely to miss tomorrow’s game.

This might sound like I am clutching at straws and, well, that’s because I am. While City have, of course, been relegated from the Premier League twice before in the past decade, this time would feel different – more permanent. Despite being in financial turmoil following our 2010 relegation, and losing a number of fans’ favourites after our 2015 drop, there was always a feeling that City would be able to compete in the Championship, rebuild, and sooner rather than later, return to the Premier League. This feeling was, of course, proven correct. However, with Marco Silva certainly set to leave if we go down, surely followed by a mass exodus of players either on loan deals or who have relegation clauses in their contracts, there really is a feeling it might be a long, long time before the Tigers grace the top flight of English football again.

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My overriding opinion about the club I love has been made abundantly clear all season. While, of course, our likely relegation will hurt, at the same time, as I mentioned many times this season, the bleak reality is that Hull City deserve to go down. The Allams’ mismanagement may finally be about to catch-up to them, however, as always in situations like this, it is fans who are made to suffer. While many supporters of other clubs may believe comparing our situation to the likes of Blackpool, Blackburn, Charlton and Coventry is at this point painfully premature, as a City fan, it is hard to see any other direction the club traveling in following relegation. As summed up perfectly by a well-known Hull City supporter group on Twitter this evening, “Hope will always remain, but it feels like our glorious era of unprecedented success is drawing slowly to a close”.