Birmingham City v Hull City: Boateng fears true price of relegation

The Tigers travel to Birmingham City today knowing defeat will leave the club staring the drop – and possible financial meltdown this summer – in the face.

With the stakes so high, manager Iain Dowie called his entire squad together for a meeting on Tuesday to lay bare the possible consequences of Hull slipping back into the Championship.

And Boateng believes the message hit home ahead of a huge week that also includes the visit of Aston Villa and Sunderland to the KC Stadium.

He said: "We had a meeting with the staff and it was good to have. All the players have to realise what relegation would mean for a club like Hull City.

"Not just the region, but the people who work here in the offices that people don't see.

"We have a lady in the office at the training ground. She had been looking for a job for many years but couldn't find one.

"Now she has got a job but the manager reminded us if we were to be relegated, she might lose her job and might not be able to pay her mortgage.

"It is important that we remember what impact it could have on other people's lives as well as our own. That seemed to have an impact on us all.

"Some players might think it is just another game but that is not the case. Now, it is serious.

"Every point and every result could be vital. The players now realise the situation that we are in."

Boateng, 34, has spent the past 13 seasons in the Premier League and chalked up more than 350 top-flight appearances.

During that time with Coventry City, Aston Villa, Middlesbrough and Hull, the Dutch midfielder has been a model of consistency. He also boasts the enviable record of never having been relegated – something he is desperate to hold on to come May 9.

Boateng said: "This week will decide whether or not we have got a chance of staying in the Premier League.

"We have got two games against Birmingham and Villa, and we need four points. Anything less than that will make it very difficult.

"The game against Villa is our game in hand and our joker to put others under pressure. People might think if we can't beat Burnley at home then we have got no chance but this is also the team that beat Manchester City.

"Other teams around us have got harder games than us. The teams that are four points better than us are sweating.

"As long as we get four points from these two games, I believe we would have a very good chance rather than just a chance.

"Wigan have to play Chelsea and Arsenal, which are two very difficult games. We also have to go to Wigan.

"We know we missed a big chance against Burnley. If we had have beaten Burnley, I would have said we had a 80 per cent chance of staying up. Now it is only 50-50."

The abject display against a Burnley side without an away win all season has, understandably, led to many writing off City.

Boateng admits it was a shocking display and that the players were guilty of allowing their heads to drop in the second half.

Despite that, the veteran midfielder is adamant the Tigers can make amends in their final five games.

He said: "To describe the Burnley defeat as 'demoralising' would be an understatement.

"I have had many bad results over the years but that would be right up there. If you had said before last week that we would have come away from the Burnley game with a draw, all of us would have been crying with disappointment.

"We set out to win the game but we failed to deal with the sucker punch. Once Burnley scored, we lost the belief in the team. Everything went downhill after that.

"We never recovered from the equaliser and that is all to do with mental toughness.

"Every season you will go through difficult times and you will get adversity. But it is about how you cope.

"On the day, the pressure of facing relegation in the eye was too much. The most frustrating thing was that people gave up. That should not happen.

"But we can still do it. We just need a bit of luck, which will only come if everyone pulls out their fingers.

"It is not going to happen if six are trying and four are not. Everyone has to try as hard as they can because the games are running out."

Birmingham City v Hull City

Team news: Andy Dawson is fit despite being stretchered off in last weekend's demoralising defeat at home to Burnley, but less happy news for Iain Dowie is Bernard Mendy being out along with Richard Garcia. Australian winger Garcia suffered a knee injury in training this week and is not expected to be fit to face Aston Villa or Sunderland in the coming week.

Last six games: Birmingham City DLLDDL, Hull City LLLWLL.

Referee: M Clattenburg (Tyne & Wear).

Last time: Birmingham City 2 Hull City 1; September 9, 2006; Championship.

SkyBet odds: Birmingham to win 4-5; Hull to win 7-2; Draw 5-2.