Hull City captain prepares for biggest ever game

Hull City captain, George Boateng, is calling this weekend’s match against Stoke City the club’s biggest ever game. The match is a real six pointer with both sides wanting to win to secure their Premier League safety for next season.

Boateng has been in and out of the Hull side all season with niggling injuries and is not prepared to underestimate the significance of this match. Forget the games against Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal or Liverpool, for now it’s all about beating Stoke.

Hull have really struggled after an impressive early season run that saw them take impressive victories away at Arsenal and Tottenham. They will desperately want to win this game to give their fans a little bit of breathing space. Newcastle United and Middlesborugh are also facing each other so one of them looks set to drop points, making the game for Hull even bigger than it already is.

Boateng said ahead of the clash: “This is going to be the biggest game in Hull City’s history, bigger even then winning last season’s play-off final against Bristol City. The best thing for us is that the game is at home. The good news is that we do not have to go to Stoke and defend 650 long throw ins. I feel very positive.”

Interestingly in comparison with other clubs neither Stoke nor Hull are that badly positioned. They both have a better chance of survival and should be confident that there are three teams worse than themselves. Three points for Hull would be a huge boost, coming in a run where confidence has been undoubtedly low and the side has been scratching around.

Stoke have been poised on the point of safety for a long time. It could be the case that the nerves and fidgets start to set in shortly if they cannot get themselves over that line. A win for either club would drastically dent the chances of the other, but they will be hoping that the other relegation dogfight this weekend ends in a draw, giving them a corridor of opportunity to bounce on.

Boateng is one of those rare individuals in the modern game that seems to set an example to everyone else. You never read about him in the media other than when it is to do with football and he is one of the main reasons Hull have done so well when he has not been fending off an injury. If his leadership skills are finely tuned during the game then it could well prove the turning point.

Big players are needed for big games like this one and it could turn out that this is the game of the weekend as all of the big clubs will be nursing players or now have little to play for. Phil Brown and Tony Pulis will be sussing each other out, but it is unlikely that either side will canter away with a victory but whoever gets the win will be feeling a lot easier than they do right now.

Hull could well pounce on the fact Stoke have not made the most of their position, they need the three points more and the home advantage could see them through.