ON THE desk of Steve Bruce's office at Hull City's Cottingham training base sits a handwritten fixture list detailing the final challenges in store for all of the Championship's promotion hopefuls.
After seven months and 36 league fixtures, it has come to this. Just as it always does.
"I'm not sure why I've bothered," said a puzzled Bruce, pushing his notepad away. "Anything can happen in this league."
No matter, the final countdown is officially underway in the mind of Bruce.
Just 10 games remain for the Tigers to realise their Premier League ambitions and the fortunes of others inevitably grow more relevant by the week.
A damaging 4-2 defeat at Crystal Palace on Tuesday leaves Bruce plotting a route back towards an automatic promotion spot.
The picture is typically congested. A point ahead of City are Watford, a point behind are Crystal Palace. Still within sight at the summit there is Cardiff and not out of it in fifth, with a game in hand, there is Leicester.
The upward mobility of Brighton, Nottingham Forest and Bolton also means a late promotion raid from further down can't be discounted.
City, who travel to Burnley on Monday night, can only look on and watch as their rivals attempt to turn up the heat this weekend, but Bruce is determined not to find himself preoccupied.
"You can look on paper and say 'That's a home banker' but it's never quite that simple in this division," he said.
"You look at some of the results we've seen this season, it's incredible. Peterborough, right down at the bottom, have gone to Cardiff and us and won. That's only one example of it.
"You couldn't even say how many teams are still in with a chance. Bolton are coming up on a great run out of the pack and Forest are another one with a big strong squad. They'll not be giving up on promotion by any stretch.
"We're in a position that an awful lot of teams would love to be in so the onus is very much on us. We're not relying on anyone else."
City capture the Championship's variables wonderfully well over the last fortnight.
In between heavy defeats at Bolton Wanderers and Crystal Palace was a scintillating 5-2 win over Birmingham City. While that fixture brought a leap up to second in the division, the two losses triggered a fall to third.
Watford will attempt to put daylight between themselves and City with a home win over Blackpool today, but Bruce remains relaxed.
"We're delighted we're there because no one gave us a cat in hell's chance at the start of the season," he added.
"There's 10 to go and there's still lots of twists and turns for us and every other side that's up there going for promotion.
"After Easter weekend, once we've played Watford, that's when the tickly bit really starts but the message is always to enjoy it."
If City have a trump card, it is Bruce himself.
Of the current top six, only Ian Holloway of Crystal Palace has a promotion to the Premier League on his CV.
Bruce twice held his nerve during his Birmingham reign to clamber his way out of the Championship and he has every faith the Tigers can complete his hat-trick.
The City boss is evasive over the points it will need to earn automatic promotion. West Ham missed out last season with 86 points but Stoke only needed 78 to claim second in 2007-08.
The Tigers' current total of 65 will need significant improvements, beginning at Burnley on Monday, but Bruce is certain his squad will give everything they have.
"You need a bit of luck and hopefully that means we can steer clear of more injuries," he added.
"It's important not to get over cautious too. You've got to try and enjoy the experience rather than getting bogged down by it.
"All we can do is give our best crack. If we give it everything we've got, and I'm sure we will do, then that'll do me. I know we won't be far away."
