Hull City boss Adkins says squad unity can help Tigers avoid the drop

The Terriers head to Sunderland tomorrow for a clash that could have huge ramifications for the two combatants.

Hull are fifth bottom but defeat, or even a draw depending on results elsewhere, could see Adkins side slip into the relegation zone.

“It is a big game for both clubs,” said the City chief. “We need to go with a mind-set that we are going to win every game of football. It is not the end of the world if we lose but, as I have highlighted to the players, you can’t afford to let one training session go by or one game go by because points are up for grabs.

“You can’t think, ‘Oh, we will be alright next week’. We are at the wrong end of the table and we are in a relegation battle.

“What is Abraham Lincoln’s quote? ‘A house divided amongst itself cannot stand’. Well, we are together so we have a chance. We’re keeping clean sheets and everyone is pulling in the right direction. We are not fragmented.”

Meanwhile, Adkins is still hoping to bring Scott McKenna to the KCOM Stadium despite Aberdeen issuing a ‘hands off’ message in the wake of rejecting two bids from the Tigers.

“Who knows what will happen through the course of the transfer window?” he added about the 21-year-old. “We like the player a lot, that is public, and we have put a little bid in there.

“Conversations will go on above me and we just have to wait and see what happens.”