Hull City v Ipswich Town: Glory not goodbye is motivation for Liam Rosenior as Tigers aim to keep play-off dream alive - with Leeds United watching
The phrase of choice from supporters after a quick tap on the shoulder at the final whistle will be ‘see you in August’.
Liam Rosenior’s devout hope is that it proves not to be the case at a packed MKM Stadium on Saturday evening.
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Hide AdHull City have a play-off chance as it stands - but will be keeping their fingers crossed that results are kind this afternoon at either Hillsborough or Carrow Road, or preferably both.
For Rosenior, any thoughts of the game being a sign-off in East Yorkshire in 2023-24 aren’t being entertained. There’s one more to come in a perfect world.
He said: "I am not going to say it, because it’s not the end of our season.
"I’ve said it to the players - this cannot be our thinking that it’s going to be our last home game.
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Hide Ad"We need to fight and play so we can have one extra chance to play at this amazing stadium.
"It is going to be a great atmosphere and I am looking forward to it. Ipswich are an excellent team with an excellent manager and have an outstanding few seasons with a real spirit and understanding of what they do.
"We’re in a position with two games to go where we have a chance. That’s credit to everyone at the club, especially considering where we have come from.
"New owners just over two years ago and a club that had been in League One and a lot of work to be done behind the scenes.
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Hide Ad"I look at the progress we have made on and off the pitch and I couldn’t be prouder of everyone at the club.”
Should City gatecrash the top six, play-off participation - whatever transpires in them - would represent a fine achievement and something ‘tangible’ to take from a season in which the Tigers’ growth, across the club, have been impressive.
On what a play-off place would mean, Rosenior added: “It would mean that all your hard work, from not just pre-season, but from November (2022) when I came in to now has now all come to a tangible place.
"There’s a lot of intangible things that have really improved us and I will always be proud of. But to say we have achieved the play-offs is something I’d always be proud of.
"But we have got to work really hard to keep that dream alive.”