Steve Tucker: Can Cardiff City drag Hull City into the Premier League relegation mire?
21 Feb 2014 00:01
Our football correspondent Steve Tucker takes a look at how a win for Cardiff City against Hull can give them real hope of Premier League survival
Cardiff City v Hull City, Saturday, 3pm
Football like life, is very much a matter of perception.
Tomorrow’s big clash in the Welsh capital is a case in point as Cardiff City entertain Hull City in a encounter with seismic significance at the less attractive end of the Premier League table.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men are struggling to keep their heads above choppy waters with this the first of what could prove a very dirty dozen final fixtures of the season for the capital club.
For all the negativity, though, City remain just two points from safety. Indeed, if they beat Steve Bruce’s men they would lie just a couple of points behind their visitors at close of play. And that is where that little matter of perception comes into the equation.
Last season the Bluebirds, under former boss Malky Mackay, stormed to the Championship title with time to spare.
On the final day the Bluebirds were the visitors at the KC Stadium as fingernails were nibbled by the home support until it finally emerged their side had indeed done just enough to finish runners-up and join Cardiff in the top flight.
That would seem, however, the last time Cardiff have held the upper hand over Hull since.
Popular wisdom has it that the Bluebirds have experienced a top-flight season of woe, turmoil and conflict.
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/foot ... ty-6729471?