PETER Taylor made history as the first manager in Hull City's history to inspire back-to-back promotions, and he has every faith Steve Bruce can create his own special legacy this weekend.
If City are able to hold their nerve and record a final day victory over Cardiff at the KC Stadium on Saturday, Bruce would become the first manager in the Tigers' 109-year history to win automatic promotion to the top flight.
A tense final week of the campaign is guaranteed, with third-placed Watford within a point of City, but Taylor believes the experience of Bruce can provide an advantage.
"Hull have proved all season that they're a good team and they're in very good hands with the experience of the manager," said Taylor, who is preparing to lead England at the under-20s World Cup this summer.
"In Steve Bruce they've got someone who's won promotion from this division, he'll know the right things.
"He'll want the players to play in a responsible but relaxed way. He won't be building it up saying 'This is the biggest game of your lives' or anything like that. That can put an added pressure on.
"Steve will be very calm about it, no doubt about it. He'll be a very important voice this week but he's got all the right experience for this."
Taylor is arguably the most decorated manager in City's history after twice masterminding promotions, first out of Division Three in 2003-04 and then up into the Championship 12 months later.
Both of those triumphs were tied up with at least a week to spare but Bruce's side missed out on such comfort when losing 2-0 at Barnsley.
A lacklustre performance at Oakwell means the Tigers host title-winners Cardiff this weekend without a win or a goal in their last three matches. But Taylor is urging City to remember what has brought them this far.
"It's still in their hands because they've had such a great season," he said. "And they've had a good season because they're a good team.
"That's the type of thing Steve will be saying to them. They're certainly not a bad team because they've not won the last couple of matches."
Should City fail to beat Cardiff, victory for Watford over Leeds at Vicarage Road would see Gianfranco Zola's side snatch second spot and condemn the Tigers to the play-offs.
That unpalatable outcome is one few at the KC are willing to contemplate after leading by six points just a fortnight ago, but Taylor believes the final day fixtures could yet work in City's favour.
"There will be pressure," he said. "And they will know they've not finished it off as they would have liked.
"They're making it a lot harder than it should have been but now there's the glory of doing it at the KC in front of the home supporters. The fact Cardiff haven't got anything to play for should also work in their favour.
"It's not a doddle by any stretch of the imagination. They've got to try and win the match but sometimes that make things clearer for you. Sometimes if you only need a point, it doesn't help the situation.
"People will look at Watford as being a home banker but Leeds are playing for a new manager so that's not straightforward. It'll be a very exciting afternoon that's for sure."
