Hull City v Millwall - Grant McCann refuses to shy away from pressure of relegation

The Tigers host Millwall this afternoon, 22nd in the league standings following a wretched run of form that has seen 
them win just once in 16 league outings.

The East Yorkshiremen were genuine play-off contenders at the turn of the year, but now find themselves in the bottom-three and staring demotion to League One in the face.

McCann, however, remains undaunted by the task at hand.

“I’m enjoying it. I’m relishing it,” he said.

“I’m not going home at night thinking we’ve got no chance. I’m going home with a real belief that this group of players are fighting. We’re doing all we can to get the job done.

“There’s pressure all the time. There’s pressure for Leeds to try and get promoted. I mean that on a different scale, obviously, but there’s pressure all the time.

“We’ve got to focus on the next game and keep the belief that we’ve got more than enough to stay in the division.

“A lot of people from outside will be looking in and saying we haven’t kept a clean-sheet since New Year’s Day because that’s what always seems to be dragged up at the moment; the negatives.

“We’ve got to park that to one side and focus on what we can do.”

All City can do this afternoon is beat visiting Millwall.

A victory is guaranteed to lift them out of the drop-zone after Huddersfield lost at home to Luton on Friday evening, though McCann knows that taming the Lions will be easier said than done.

Gary Rowett’s troops arrive at the KCOM Stadium 11th in the division and doubtless still harbouring hopes of bridging the five-point gap between themselves and the last play-off spot.

Hull, need a big performance and for their players to “stand up and be counted.”

McCann added: “It’s important. We have to stand up in these next four games, none more so than against Millwall.

“It’s going to be a really difficult test against a team who are physical and strong and have a real competitive edge to the way they play.

“We’ve got to stand up to that, similar to the way we did against Middlesbrough at home [in their last victory}.

“We have to get back to winning ways.”

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