Only now the draw for the fourth round of the FA Cup has been made shall we see Phil Brown's true colours.
The winners of the replay at Newcastle United on Wednesday week will be at home to Millwall or Crewe Alexandra, both of whom are in League One, the division we left via the promotion skylight under Peter Taylor in 2005.
Without wishing to pre-empt anything - especially as Hull City has a long and inglorious history of being kicked vigorously by gift horses - the chance of reaching the last 16 of the competition is now extremely good. Then, essentially, we're three wins away from going back to Wembley, the place Paul Duffen wishes to call "home".
Brown's team for the replay at St James Park may well be decided by Saturday's performance and result at Everton in the Premier League, but irrespective of our form and fortune, the prospect of a long FA Cup run - something we simply do not do - is now an exceedingly good one. This is unless the manager decides that even with a path to the fifth round laid before us, he doesn't want to stay in the Cup and picks a team of stiffs and subs for the replay.
An attitude such as this will alienate a lot of supporters of long-term vintage who can still see the Cup's value and wish that we, for once, can take some active part in its destiny. I hope the club look at the possibilities that lie ahead and decide that progressing in the FA Cup might just be a boon to the Premier League campaign, not a hindrance.
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