Steve Bruce surprised by Hull City’s fight for Premier League survival

• Manager needs win over Manchester United to stand any chance of staying up
• David Meyler says defeats by Burnley were crucial moments in season
• Kilbane thinks Hull have advantage over Newcastle in final-day battle

Having made it to the FA Cup final last season, Steve Bruce's Hull City are now 90 minutes away from dropping into the Championship.

Steve Bruce has admitted Hull’s slide into relegation danger took him slightly by surprise. The manager needs a victory over Manchester United on the last day of the season, something he has yet to achieve since leaving the club as a player, and even then must hope Newcastle do not manage to beat West Ham. Only a certain combination of results on Sunday would guarantee Hull’s survival, and the only team who could be relegated in their place are Newcastle, the side he supported as a boy.

“Newcastle even being in this situation shows how difficult it is,” Bruce said. “It’s not long ago since they were riding high in the top six, now they can’t get a win to save their lives. Obviously I have to hope that continues, although I wouldn’t wish relegation on anyone. It’s a horrible thing to go through – people lose their livelihoods and the job losses often start at the top. From a playing or managing point of view relegation is a blot on your CV that you don’t want, but you have to live with it and try to bounce back.”

Hull defeated Crystal Palace and Liverpool in successive games in April but three subsequent defeats have pushed them to this perilous position. “We weren’t good enough against Tottenham and Arsenal but the defeat that really cost us was the one against Burnley,” Bruce said. “If we had managed to take three points from that game our situation would be a lot more rosy.

“When the transfer window closed at the end of August last year I looked at our squad and was quite happy. I didn’t think we would be in this position on the final day. There are reasons why it has happened – we have lost some of our biggest signings for significant parts of the season – but I don’t want to be making excuses. We still have a chance. We are up against it, that’s for sure, but with a good performance and a bit of luck we could still save ourselves. We know we are capable.”

Bruce is relaxed about news Sam Allardyce has given his West Ham players time off in advance of the game at Newcastle. “That’s his prerogative; it can work for you or against you,” he said. “I’m not too worried about it because games in the Premier League are always competitive – you never get a gimme. I’m sure both sides will be trying to get a result.”

David Meyler, Hull’s Irish midfielder, also pinpoints both games against Burnley this season as crucial to the club’s position. “We lost to Burnley twice, that’s been our downfall,” he said. “We have had good results against some of the big teams but failing to take points from the teams immediately around us could end up costing us.

“I am in shock, really, with where we are this season compared to the end of last season, but I suppose we exceeded expectations last year in staying up and reaching the FA Cup final.

“This last game against Manchester United might be more important than the FA Cup final now. It’s certainly the one I would rather win. I actually believe we will do it against Manchester United, but what happens in the other game is out of our hands.”

If there is one single reason why there is so much shock and surprise in east Yorkshire about Hull being pulled back into the relegation mire it is the rise of Leicester City, and Bruce is big enough to give credit where it is due.

“A couple of months ago Leicester were on the bottom and everyone thought they were relegation certainties,” he said. “That has not happened and I congratulate Nigel Pearson for that. Leicester are the ones who have upset the applecart.”