Hull City's season is edging towards a thrilling climax, although not in the way many hoped for at the start of the season before a ball was kicked.
After the excitement of last season's push for the play-offs, which ultimately ended in disappointment, success for City 12 months on will be playing Championship football next season.
It's been a real slog this term having started the campaign under Tim Walter, who lost his job in November before Andy Dawson took caretaker charge for two games ahead of Ruben Selles' arrival, and while the Tigers have improved significantly under the Spaniard, they've still been unable to pull away from danger.
What this season has done, however, is highlight areas for significant improvement in the summer which much be addressed if they're to avoid finding themselves in a similar sitartion next season, and give themselves a fighting chance of emulating, and bettering, last tern.
Here's a look at areas for work this summer....
Sign a striker
City have paid the price for the lack of genuine goalscorer in the past two seasons, and it's something that cannot be allowed to happen this summer.
The fact City have had to rely on a 33-year-old to plunder the goals sums up their struggles this season. Joao Pedro was an add-on after the summer window closed, and while he's worked hard and been terrific since Ruben Selles came in, he's not the answer if the Tigers are to challenge next season.
When you see clubs like Middlesbrough and Sunderland bringing in players such as Emmanuel Latte Lath and Wilson Isidor, it shows you don't need to have the luxury of parachute payments to bring in strikers who know where the net is and have significant sell-on ability.
City have shown capability in the transfer market, but signing genuine goalscorers has been a problem for the last three years, and it's something that needs to be remedied. Yes, it's not easy because everybody is shopping in a similar market for similar profiles, but City really have to push the boat out to give their manager the tools to back up what is a solid setup but one painfully short of goals.
Full-backs
The left side has been a real problem all season, and that's despite spending £4m on Ryan Giles. Selles wanted cover there in January, but of all the options available, Callum O'Dowda was looked at, but Cardiff's board refused to sell to a rival, while Charlie Taylor ticked all the boxes and given the Southampton man went cold over the move, the manager opted to stick with what he's got.
Sean McLoughlin has done a terrific job since moving across to left-back, however, that's not a sustainable position to be in and the club will need to bring in a natural left-back in the summer. The Ryan Giles situation is one that will be a big talking point over the summer, and much will depend on what Middlesbrough want to do, but his long-term future is surely away from the club.
On the other side, Selles is well stocked with skipper Lewie Coyle and Cody Drameh, so at this stage, it would be a surprise if there was any movement there.
In between the posts
It's been a topic of plenty of discussion this season, and indeed, during last summer, but the club will need to address this area over the summer. Ivor Pandur, in his first Championship season, has been good, but having signed Carl Rushworth and Anthony Racioppi and seen them both leave in January, the club have been left short.
Thimothee Lo-Tutala is rated highly, however, is yet to play a single minute of Championship football, and bringing in an experienced goalkeeper to challenge Pandur is important.
Rushworth is a very good goalkeeper at this level, so bringing in somebody of that quality would provide Pandur with a great battle and potentially allowing Lo-Tutala to go and play a season out on loan to get into the rhythm of regular football.
Decisions to be made
Unlike in previous seasons, City have only two players out of contract this summer which should lend itself to a much smoother period, but those aren't the only decisions to be made.
Joao Pedro is the one first team regular out of contract, though the club do have a 12-month option, and Dogukan Sinik is the other one. He's expected to leave the club after a nightmare three years.
Ryan Giles' situation will be something the club need to decide what to do with, and there are other players out on loan who they'll hope to move on and free up space on their wage bill, like Marvin Mehlem and Xavier Simons.
Oscar Zambrano is a topic of big conversation, as is, Gustavo Puerta, and what they want to do with loan stars Joe Gelhardt and Louie Barry will also offer plenty of food for thought.
Joe Gelhardt and Louie Barry are both players City would like back next season, but will face competition so will be anything but guaranteed signings.
All in all
Given some of the good work the club have done over the course of the two transfer windows this season, means they've actually put themselves in a largely positive place.
This summer doesn't need wholesale change like we saw 12 months ago; it needs three or four clever additions to bolster a squad that doesn't need a huge amount of work, just in key areas.
At some point towards the back end of pre-season, it's hoped Liam Millar and Mohamed Belloumi will come back into the fold, and while it will take time for them to get up to speed, and there's always the risk of muscle injuries that follow such serious knee injuries, they will be back at some point early on. Eliot Matazo will be available, you'd hope, towards the Autumn, which will be another big boost.
Signing players like Charlie Hughes and John Egan gives them plenty of strength in the defensive ranks, and they may well look to bring in another loanee similar to what they did with Fin Burns.
In midfield, they've got a host of options with Matazo when he's fit, Regan Slater, Matt Crooks, Steven Alzate and Gustavo Puerta, who will likely sign once his appearance clause is triggered.
They're going into the summer in a much, much stronger position than 12 months ago in terms of contracted players, it just needs smart and sensible recruitment to give Selles a big chance next term.
