Happy New Year! What does 2018 hold for Bolton, we don`t quite know, but a game on the very first day of the calendar year could go a long way to influencing it. Back in August, we were thrashed 4-0 at the KCOM Stadium by a decent looking Hull side, but just over four months later, things are very different. At the time, it looked like we would be fighting different battles, but a win tomorrow would see us go above the Tigers, who recently replaced Leonid Slutskiy with Nigel Adkins. It`s a six-pointer.
“We need to make sure we don`t get too carried away with this and make it a terrific festive period with another result on Monday.”
Phil Parkinson after Saturday`s away win.
I would expect a number of changes, otherwise the players will get knackered out in the later stages. This time of the year is stupid. Play the Boxing Day game, play on New Year`s Day, but don`t play in between. Anyway, Craig Noone has been ill, but could come back into contention. Andy Taylor and Sammy Ameobi are still injured.
Antonee Robinson, Adam Armstrong, Reece Burke and Josh Cullen all theoretically return to their parent clubs after tomorrow, so the game could potentially be a clincher for whether we keep them for the rest of the season, although Robinson in particular looks set to stay.
Kamil Grosicki, who was excellent in the reverse fixture, has had an ankle injury, and may need at least another week before he plays again. Jon Toral is a doubt after suffering an injury in yesterday`s draw with Fulham, but both Evandro and Fraizer Campbell will be available.
He scored twice against us in August, and has been a big positive for Hull this season, the youngster breaking into the first team, managing 11 goals and playing well more often than not.
As mentioned a couple of times, Hull beat us 4-0 in August. Bowen scored twice, Grosicki once, and there was one too for Adama Diomande.
Our last home game against Hull was in April 2016, when Stephen Dobbie scored in a 1-0 win.
Bolton have won 14 of their last 20 home games against Hull, and have failed to lose to them at home since March 1935.
Bolton`s last New Year`s Day win came in 2001 at Preston.
I`m going for a Wanderers win to kick off 2018, but our recent form is loss, win, loss, win. Let`s hope that sequence is broken. 2-0 to us.
Huddersfield at home in the FA Cup on Saturday, then we return to league action with a trip to Brentford a week later.