The Tigers head to the Potteries looking to move out of their recent slump
Sergej Jakirovic admits he was left feeling more angered when he watched Tuesday night’s defeat to Ipswich Town back on television than he was at the time.
City were well organised, disciplined and holding their own against the Tractor Boys for 65 minutes or so, before two major lapses in concentration within four minutes of each other sealed a 2-0 defeat, coming on the back of a 3-2 loss at QPR, where his side led twice.
Those two goals conceded to Marcelino Nunez and ex-City man Chuba Akpom took their tally to 29 for the season, with only stricken Sheffield Wednesday having conceded more (33).
Jakirovic’s side have also conceded nine in their last four games, since an impressive 2-0 win at Norwich City last month, which was just their third clean sheet this term.
Bizarrely, though, the Tigers are the second top scorers behind runaway leaders Coventry City, something the Croatian boss admits is quite unusual.
“If you are able to win two games in a row, you will be in the top five for sure, so it’s very tight, but I expected this because, every season, it’s like this,” he told Hull Live.
“Even this season, maybe it’s more 50/50 because everyone can beat everyone. In every game, every next game, it’s important, and of course, we are trying to find the balance in our play, so we are not conceding such cheap goals. For example, the first (on Tuesday) goal is five against three in our box, so we have to control the player till the end.
“Maybe take more responsibility, more concentration. This is football; it’s a game of mistakes. We did one, and we are immediately punished because of this mistake. It’s an individual mistake; it’s not by the group because we were all behind them.”
Jakirovic wants to see more communication from his team, echoing the thoughts of skipper Lewie Coyle, who was keen to send out a similar message.
When asked what the manager, and coaching staff are doing to try and cut out the flurry of errors, Jakirovic says regular team meetings where videos are shown of those mistakes, and how to correct them.
“To show the players clips again,” he continued. “When I’m speaking about this, some players are looking at it maybe strangely, they don’t see a situation like this, but when you show it on the television, then they realise, ‘I have to be more, more aggressive, tighter with the players, more control over them’. This is a process.
“We train for those situations, crosses and control the players in the box. Even when we are one against one, we concentrate on man-marking until the end. Sometimes you make a mistake and then it’s too late, it’s a goal, mostly it’s a goal.
“We concede a lot of goals. I think, in the bottom two with 29. We are in the top two by scoring. I don’t know if you have had this until now in the league.
“When I’m looking forward can we can sort this out, but also it’s a responsibility on the players because this is also quality in some moments on the pitch by defending that you must take more responsibility or you can replace players, but that doesn’t mean it will be better.
“We have to be brave on the ball. When I watch our games, I’m even angrier than I was after the game. This is something that we have to show, especially in possession, because we have already shown that we can play very good football.
“They agree completely with me because they see everything. If I compare QPR and Ipswich, against Ipswich, we were much, much better on the front foot, aggressive, together, compact, so that you can control half spaces. Maybe we have a lack of communication as well, so we have to fix this.”
The Potters are a team transformed this season under Mark Robins, and went second on Tuesday night when they ended their own two-game losing run with a home victory over Charlton Athletic.
“It will be difficult for sure because they are in good form now,” Jakirovic said of the Potters. “They are playing again at home. It’s an early kickoff. It’s always tricky, 12:30. I like to say it’s time for a second coffee, not for the game, but OK.
“We will prepare, and I hope we can take something. It will be good for us, especially in this moment, but also it’s not a disaster if you lose the game because it’s a very long season. I see, for example, QPR lost three games in a row. Now they have won two games in a row, so it’s such a league.
“We will try to, like in every game, take something. It will not be easy, because they are a really, really good team. I watched them yesterday (against Charlton), and they controlled most situations on the pitch. It’s a challenge for us, especially at this moment.
“They are a very good team because they have conceded just 12 goals until now,” Jakirovic told Hull Live. “They didn’t concede one goal from set pieces, so defensively they are very strong; they have a good balance in the team.
“They are very, very dangerous when they take the ball, positive transition with (Sorba) Thomas, the left winger, with a striker who is very fast, and they have some automation in their play, but we will be ready, we will prepare everything. Tomorrow (Friday) it’s the last training (session) before the game, and we will put our plan there, and we will see on Saturday.”
On Sorba Thomas, who was close to joining the Tigers back in January under Ruben Selles, before City opted to sign Louie Barry from Aston Villa, Jakirovic says it will be up to the players to make sure he’s not allowed the space to add to his six-goal tally, two of which came in midweek.
“We will try to stop him with our group play, but also like every winger in this league, they are able to go one-on-one, and he’s maybe even free on the pitch because sometimes he’s coming inside, he even goes on the other side, opposite side, so we have to we have to have a good communication between the lines that take over this player and we will see. As a group, as a team, we need to stop him.”
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