Jakirovic won promotion with a side that only survived last season on goal difference on the final day
Hull City manager Sergej Jakirovic kisses the trophy(Image: Kieran McManus/Shutterstock)
Hull City head coach Sergej Jakirovic is the real Championship manager of the season and not Coventry boss Frank Lampard, that’s according to former Premier League striker Kevin Phillips.
Lampard was given the honour after guiding Coventry to the Championship title and a return to the top flight of English football for the first time in 25 years. While the Sky Blues eventually romped to the title with an 11-point margin over Ipswich Town and 95 points won, the manner of Hull City’s promotion to the Premier League deserves more credit in the eyes of some, including Phillips.
In his first year at the Tigers, Jakirovic has won promotion through a Wembley final with a side that only survived last season on goal difference on the final day. And he did so against the backdrop of a transfer embargo and bad luck with injuries to key players across the campaign.
The City boss has seen his stock rise rapidly in recent days after what the Tigers did to Millwall in the play-offs and then Middlesbrough at Wembley, with Phillips among those impressed by the Croatian.
“Incredible, absolutely incredible. I’ve spoken about him a fair few times this season about the sanctions that were put on the club. For him to wheel and deal, trying to put together a squad to try and stay in the league, really, but let alone challenge and then get promoted. He’s done an absolutely incredible job,” said Phillips.
“It’s a big club, Hull. We know they’ve been in the Premier League, so they’ve had experience from that point of view. So it’s such a great story to see them, and then of course what happened in the playoffs, having to sit and wait, it just shows you the calibre of the manager because he’s kept those players calm and they’ve turned it on, on the biggest stage in football, the most expensive game.
“So he’s surely got to get manager of the season as well. He’s been outstanding. I know Frank got it, but I think he’s done an amazing job. It’s going to be great to see him put himself against Premier League sides next season.”
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