How the Royals Can Tame the Tigers: The Experts' View of Hull City Before the Reading FC Strike

The reading should chain the wingers of Hull City for a chance to get a result this weekend.

That's the verdict of the Tigers reporter, Phil Buckingham, at Hull Live , before Saturday's meeting at KCOM Stadium (15h).

Nigel Adkins's men have challenged the odds this season and are entering the game with a play-off spot, a possibility after an impressive series of results.

Jarrod Bowen and Kamil Grosicki, who have scored 28 goals this season, helped them.

Phil thinks it's a must match for Hull if they want to keep hoping to extend their season beyond the beginning of May.

The Royals have their own reasons to win the game while survival is still far from certain, although last weekend's win over Preston North End gave them a well deserved break.

Here's what Phil had to say about the game and what Reading fans can expect.

What has been the verdict of the season so far?

Beyond what most of us were waiting for.

The summer redesign that followed last year's relegation bout revealed another fight at the foot of the table, but Nigel Adkins and his players defied all of those expectations.

The average months of the season, from November to January, were particularly impressive and reversed the goals of this season.

Against all odds, this City team arrived in April with an outdoor chance to reach the play-offs.

Is this a must-have game for Hull?

Absolutely. There are no tears to shed if this season does not have an extension next month but if the hope is to stay alive for another week, you have to win at home.

With only seven games to play and half a dozen teams to overtake, City must absolutely find at least six wins by Sunday, May 5.

Since trips to Middlesbrough and West Brom are coming, this game must earn three points.

Is a play-off spot realistic?

The bookmakers count City as a 50-1 win to rank in the top six, which says a lot. It's not impossible, but it will take something close to miraculous.

It is suspected that there are too many good teams competing for these last places and too much ground to catch up.

What are the main strengths and weaknesses of the team?

The main force is undoubtedly the threat of attack put off. Jarrod Bowen and Kamil Grosicki have been outstanding, scoring 28 goals in total this season.

In order for an opponent to have a chance to stop City, he must first chain the two wingers together. They have the rhythm, they are direct and they force the defenders on the back foot.

The team's defense in recent months has been less impressive.

Although there is no more blank sheet in Ipswich, they have lost far too many goals scored with a defense chopped and changed too often.

Who are the key players that Reading should monitor?

Bowen and Grosicki should not need introduction and more often than not, their best form tends to come to KCOM stage.

David Marshall has a very good season in goal and Marc Pugh, loaned to Bournemouth, is another very smart player. He will probably fill the role number 10.

What did you think about Nigel Adkins' work and what do fans think of him?

You can not blame Adkins' work for the limited resources he has.

It's a very talented team he inherited when he replaced Leonid Slutsky in December 2017, but, as Sunderland proves, it was not a guarantee of survival.

Many big names have evolved this past summer and so it has been difficult to rebuild and turn City into a half half team. The fans have really started to please him now.

Looking from afar, what did you make of the Reading season? Do you think that they will stay in place?

All a bit of a wet executioner, if the truth is known. The reading does not seem to have drawn lessons from last season and they have just grown dull.

It needed something to change to ward off this worrying threat of relegation and the arrival of José Gomes seems to have done.

There are surely three worse teams than Reading, who seem to have recovered at the right moment.

Prediction score for Saturday?

It's hard to look beyond a home win. City has not lost at home since November and has taken 23 points over the last 27 at KCOM Stadium.

A close 2-1 victory for the Adkins team.

read will have live coverage of the KCOM stadium from the clash against Hull. All preparations start at noon on Saturday afternoon.

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