Hull boss Steve Bruce and Newcastle counterpart John Carver are in for a nervy afternoon
There is little at stake on the last day of the Premier League campaign for most clubs, except maybe a bit of prize money.
A lot of the players already have their flip-flops on and have their summer holiday tickets in their back pockets.
Survival
For two clubs though today’s games will be nail-biting, nervy and tense encounters.
Newcastle and Hull fans have been here before of course, but it will not make it any easier for which ever club makes the drop into the Championship later today.
Simple
The scenario for both teams is simple, win on the last day and hope that the other team lose. Hull host fourth-place Manchester United at the KC Stadium and the Tigers have to win and hope the Magpies slip-up in their home game against West Ham, as they currently trail the Magpies by two points.
The side from the north east of course have the advantage, as they have a home game against a West Ham side that are in poor form, having picked-up just two wins from their last 15 top-flight games.
Form
However, at the moment Newcastle could not buy a victory. John Carver’s team have lost nine out of their last ten Premier League games as the Magpies have plummeted down the league table.
Morale seems to have hit rock-bottom at the north east club. Of course the Magpies may not need to do anything, as their result will not matter if Hull fails to defeat United on Humberside.
Hull fans will be heading to the KC in hope more than expectations later today considering that their team have lost their last three games in the Premier League.
Neither Newcastle nor Hull fans will be confident of their teams gaining the required victory in today’s encounters.
Boss
John Carver’s claims earlier this season that he was the best coach in the league provoked some to ask for the men in white coats to take the Magpies boss away, because he seemed to be having some sort of delusional episode in which he thought he was somebody else.
Joking aside though, Carver has always been a highly-rated coach, but his managerial record so far has quite frankly been disastrous. The experienced coach was always the cut-price option for Newcastle owner Mike Ashley when Alan Pardew departed for Crystal Palace.
Just like anything in life, you get what you pay for and Ashley might be paying a bigger price than he expected in relegation. Whatever happens this summer Carver’s time in charge of his home town team looks set to come to a conclusion at the end of the campaign.
Underachieved
Newcastle has shopped in the bargain basement in recent transfer windows, but by their standards Hull City have spent relatively big to attempt to become a stable Premier League club.
The Tigers have underachieved considering the players that have arrived on Humberside in recent transfer windows. The arrival of the likes of Jake Livermore, Tom Huddlestone and Nikica Jelavic had raised hopes amongst the fans that the team could move forward.
However, a number of Hull’s players have failed to deliver this season, so the team have gradually been dragged towards the relegation zone.
Tigers boss Steve Bruce now has a big job on his hands to attempt to raise his player’s spirits for the crucial game against United.
Odds
Nervy
This afternoon could be a very nervy one for Newcastle and Hull fans, as they wait to find out their clubs destiny’s for next season. Whatever happens this afternoon and whoever goes down both sets of fans will believe that their teams have endured poor campaigns.
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