We’re in ‘Every game is a cup final’ territory now, with eight games left to haul ourselves out of the bottom three and prolong our stay in the Premier League. Perhaps home form can save us, all five of our wins this season have been at the KC Stadium after all, and we have 5 home games left starting with Fulham today.

Stephen Hunt has been talismanic for the Tigers this year, and his return after five weeks absent with a foot injury is a major boost.. Iain Dowie can also call on George Boateng and Jozy Altidore, who return from suspension and hamstring trouble respectively.

As for Fulham, who impressively knocked Italian giants Juventus out of the Europa League, one time City target Bobby Zamora is a doubt for the Cottagers, who lie 10th in the table.

City look to halt a run of 6 consecutive defeats, though those who look for statistical omens will take heart in Fulham not scoring away in their last five Premier League games. Iain Dowie would be grateful for a continuation of such goal shyness in his first home game as “Temporary Football Management Consultant”.

And the fact that it is Iain Dowie’s Hull City means that it is anyone’s guess who will play when the Tigers taken on beleaguered Portsmouth at Fratton Park this weekend.

George Boateng is suspended and Kamil Zayatte now out for the season (thanks to the saintly Sol Campbell and all those apologies from Arsenal players and fans for ending a guy’s season when honestly going for the ball – yes, we thought their silence was deafening too) but otherwise the “temporary football management consultant” (love to see the size of his parking space at the Circle) may well turn to clean slates in selecting the side.

You can definitely presume that Boaz Myhill, Steven Mouyokolo and Jimmy Bullard will start but there may be fresh chapters ahead for the likes of Geovanni, Kamel Ghilas and even Ibrahima Sonko, especially with Zayatte crocked and the gifted but raw Liam Cooper the only remaining specialist centre back that isn’t an outcast on loan from Stoke. For all that, Dowie may decide that the performance at Arsenal alone is enough to find only cover for Boateng and Zayatte from those in the squad of 18 that was on duty.

Portsmouth had their points deduction confirmed this week, finally, which means they’ll go into the game either in defiant mood or totally deflated. One can hope for the latter, but their players still have Wembley places to compete for in the FA Cup semi-final (yet another reason to wish those games were still at Goodison Park or Old Trafford) and this will be a tough old baptism for Dowie et al. However, a win for the Tigers – yes, that would be an away win, please keep reading – would be just the kickstart needed for this mini-season of nine games with survival at its end. The intrigue makes the trip down worth it; let’s hope the outcome similarly makes the return journey so.