A script is defined by Cambridge dictionary as “the way people are expected to behave or the way a situation is expected to be”. Sheffield Wednesday, the team with 1 win all season, are currently on a run of P15, W0, D1, L14. Five goals have been scored in this run, and 31 conceded. Anybody who has been following City for more than 5 minutes just knows that Wednesday will come away from the MKM with 3 points in the bag, probably thanks to a brace from Joel Ndala.

Of course, this is very unlikely to happen. Sure, the 1 draw in Wednesday’s dismal run happened fairly recently on the 10th of March in fact, against play-off chasing Watford. Also, they’re solitary win for the season was on the road, against fellow strugglers Portsmouth. Even so, the thought of City not taking 3 points, even in a scrappy or undeserved fashion, just cannot be entertained.

Writing a match preview usually involves identifying potential threats in the opposition side. For a team that’s scored 5 goals in their last 15 matches however, that’s a bit tricky to do. The Owls have only scored 23 goals all season (the lowest in the league) and have conceded 76 (the highest in the league), and are missing a host of injured players, especially in defence, including former Tigers Di’Shon Bernard and Liam Cooper. Jerry Yates, who has scored 3 of those 5 goals in their recent run, will start up top though, and the on-loan Luton man will probably be the one to watch out for. I’m struggling really for anything else interesting to note. Emile Heskey’s son Jaden is likely to feature for them in midfield, and they’re managed by Henrik Pederson, but it’s not the same Dane that played for the Tigers.

They’re also not much speculation about City’s team, mainly because if you’re fit, you’ll probably start. The defence is almost definitely going to be McNair at right back, Ajayi and Egan at centre half, and Drameh at left-back. Charlie Hughes’s red-card appeal was rejected and everyone else is injured, so those 4 will line up in front of Pandur. Slater, Crooks, Millar, Koumas, McBurnie, Gelhardt, Belloumi, and Joseph will fight out for the 6 spots further ahead.

To summarise, probably my easiest match preview of the season to be honest. Not much speculation into the starting line-up for either side. Only really 1 player of any danger for the visitors, with City’s shaky form offering the only possible chance of any deviation from “the script”. It’s a new round of LMS, so make sure you sign up with Jan for that, and I imagine 90% will be plumping for City. 90% will go through to round 2, but it might be shakier or closer than is comfortable. I could even see Wednesday taking the lead, as they did against Watford, only to be denied at the death…

Hull City 3 (Gelhardt x 2, Belloumi late off the bench) – 1 Sheffield Wednesday (Yates – putting them 1-0 up)