Four wins during a five-match unbeaten run have been eye-catching enough but when you consider those victories have come against Wrexham, Millwall, West Bromwich Albion and Middlesbrough it is time we took notice. Under their previously unheralded boss Sergej Jakirovic, the Tigers have quietly sneaked into fourth place, two points outside the automatic promotion places. Also, before any fans in East Yorkshire get too excited they may like to look at Thursday's opponents Stoke when they arrive at the MKM Stadium (15:00 GMT). Second at the end of November, the Potters' poor run of five defeats from their past seven outings finds them now in 10th place, four points short of the top six. Fortunes can fluctuate quickly in football, particularly in the chaos that is the Championship.

Source: BBC December 31, 2025 12:38 UTC