It’s crunch time for Hull City in the Premier League. That’s putting it very lightly indeed. Win or face life in the Championship, with all the financial uncertainty and restrictions, difficult fixtures against harsh, physical teams and that vague sense of disquiet and worry - ‘will we ever see the Premier League again?’

It’s almost like a prison sentence.

Hull can avoid that with a win, but only if Newcastle don’t win. On current form, you might take that - but Hull’s win has to come against Manchester United. There’s always a catch when you deal with the devil. And having your whole season come down to this, with the outcome not even in your own hands is very much like a deal with the devil.

But do Hull stand a chance?

Not if you think their previous matches against Manchester United count for anything on Sunday at 3pm. Same goes for their manager. Steve Bruce hasn’t won against Manchester United as a manager - with any club he’s been at - and Hull haven’t beaten United since 1974. In any competition.

In fact, Hull have avoided defeat against Manchester United only 8 times in their whole history. So if there’s a team that Hull probably didn’t want to be facing with their Premier League status hanging in the balance, it’s probably the Red Devils.

Yet, these stats aren’t actually that surprising. Hull have never been a regular side in the top division, floating around the second and third tiers of English football for much of their 110 year existence. Most of the fixtures against United were in Division Two - mostly as United looked towards promotion back to the top flight and Hull fought against relegation. So they’ve never really been on an equal footing.

In fact, Hull and United have only played against each other seven times in the top flight. United have won every time.

But Hull aren’t the same side as they were in the 20th century. Hull are a modern side with a modern stadium. Hull have been around the top of the second tier this time, flirting with promotion and avoiding relegation from the Premier League. This is their fourth top flight season, the first was in 2008.

In that time they’ve had seasons where they’ve stayed up and also relegation seasons. But there’s clearly progress at the club. Last season not only did they stay up impressively - pretty much safe by March before they lost eight of their last 11 games - but they reached their first ever FA Cup final.

In the summer they spent upwards of £40m on players, including spending £10m on Abel Hernandez. I felt at the start of the season that they’d strengthened very well and would kick on even further this season. But their poor form at the end of last season saw them spiral into even poorer form this season, and relegation now looks likely.

Hull should be doing much better, but this is where they are now. The next game is huge and with the money on the line, it’s perhaps the biggest game in the club’s history.

And United are no strangers to this scenario themselves. Another team in orange came to Old Trafford needing a win on the final day in 2011, but after an heroic display Blackpool succumbed to relegation and a 4-2 defeat.

West Ham managed a thrilling final day win to keep themselves in the league in 2007. The controversial Carlos Tevez goal kept them up and relegated Sheffield United instead.

Unfortunately Hull don’t have Tevez to call on this weekend, but if they can summon the spirit that Blackpool showed in 2011, the quality that West Ham showed in 2007 and the ambition that brought them so close to lifting the FA Cup last season then they might have a chance.

Hull are progressing as a club. They are not the same club that Manchester United beat in the second tier all those years ago. And if Hull are to really progress, they’ll need to beat United at some point. Sunday afternoon at the KC Stadium would be a good place to start.

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