Hull City have a new manager after the club appointed Sergej Jakirovic as Ruben Selles’ successor on an initial two-year deal, and the Bosnian must get to work quickly.
After surviving on the final day of the season on goal difference, the task facing City and their new head coach is a significant one if they’re to avoid a relegation scrap next term.
While it may be June, and in theory, the quietest month of the season, there is little time before the players return for pre-season training, by which point, there will only be just over a month until the big kick-off.
So, with all that in mind, here’s a look at the big tasks facing City’s latest managerial appointment…
Get settled in
The new manager has huge experience of his native Bosnia and Croatia, and he’s also had jobs in Slovenia and more recently, Turkey. However, like Walter before him, he’s never managed in England and that will pose its own challenges.
His grasp of the language is exceptional, which will ensure he gets off to a good start at the training ground, but he will need to get accustomed to life on these shores.
Moving country for work is never easy for anybody, especially a football manager of a big club in the Championship, where the focus and glare are on you all the time, and the majority of fans only really care about seeing their side win a game of football on a Saturday.
Sort out the summer
We’re guessing a reunion with Keyserispor probably won’t be on the agenda any time soon, given the fact that they were deeply unhappy about City snatching their manager, but the schedule of matches has started to take shape.
Ruben Selles had largely planned out what he wanted from pre-season, but there’s a fair chance that Jakirovic will have his own ideas and specific demands. City will certainly want to avoid the situation Tim Walter faced last summer when City trekked down to Reading for their final outing before the season started. It would be fair to say the German was not impressed with that fixture, which was arranged prior to Liam Rosenior’s exit.
Games against Stockport County and Sunderland are already in the diary, as are two games behind closed doors at the training ground, but there’s still room for manoeuvre elsewhere.
No doubt the Bosnian would have had a plan in place for what he wanted to do with Keyserispor and he may well look to replicate that at City. Pre-season is the most important part of any campaign, and having his players in top-top shape for the start of the season will be absolutely crucial.
What happens in pre-season usually sets the tone for what happens over the following nine months, and that was the case last season for City. The whole summer was a mess, and the whole club never recovered.
Transfers, transfers, transfers
City’s squad needs help. It’s been well-documented about their struggles over the course of last season. A quick look at the final Championship table will give the new manager a fair idea of what must be improved.
Getting quality players in and quickly will be paramount. There cannot be a repeat of last summer’s chaos. Otherwise, they’ll be in real trouble and this manager will be set up to fail.
There are some big decisions to be made over existing players, especially those returning from loans away from the club – Ryan Giles being one of those – while adding quality in the final third is absolutely paramount. City needs goals in their side and that will be the biggest challenge for the Bosnian and the club’s recruitment team.
Set out his vision
City fans aren’t a complicated bunch. They just want a manager who can organise his team, have them work tirelessly for the badge and give their all. If, after that, there’s some decent football to watch, then that’s a bonus. If the latest edition of the new-look City can zip the ball around with a bit of pace in the final third, and have a shot or two, that’ll also go down well.
Under Walter, supporters felt disillusioned and undervalued. The German’s abrasive nature didn’t help build a relationship between the two, so Jakirovic could do with getting fans on side quite early on, which would help his cause.
Given the state of the club’s dismal home form since the Tigers returned to the Championship, if he can start the season with some home victories, he’ll have the fanbase eating out of the palm of his hand.
Ultimately, fans are fed up with hearing about philosophies. They just want to see an organised team and one that scores goals and is capable of winning football matches.
Get ready for what’s to come
You can manage at various levels in different countries, but nothing prepares you for what the Championship will throw your way. It’s relentless.
Basically, it’s two games a week for nine months. Yes, you get four international breaks to pause for breath and take stock of where you are, but away from those, the rest of it is mad.
High-intensity games all the time, long journeys, a lack of preparation time, and hopefully, for the first time in years, a couple of decent cup runs thrown in for good measure.
Walter found the schedule difficult; he hated his media commitments, and eventually, he cracked. Jakirovic will have to shoulder the expectations on his time and deal with them well.
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