City are back at the MKM Stadium on Saturday for the first of just two home games in November
Hull City head coach Sergej Jakirovic says it’s important his players relish the extra expectation that’s now on his side after a fine start to the season.
Tuesday night’s 2-1 defeat at Derby County ended the Tigers’ impressive six-game unbeaten run which had seen them claim four wins and two draws, and now, they’ll look to bounce back this weekend.
City host struggling Portsmouth at the MKM Stadium, knowing victory could send them into the top six for the final international break, and they’ll tackle the South Coast side in front of their biggest home crowd of the season so far.
Jakirovic’s men have won four at home already this term, and victory on Saturday afternoon would see them match last season’s total already, but with an improvement in fortunes comes a growing expectation, something the Croatian is keen for his players to deal with.
WATCH: Sergej Jakirovic looks ahead to the visit of Pompey
“I don’t want us to think that we are under pressure because we need to enjoy and play football, and of course, with the responsibility in our positions, we have our tactical plan, we will have for sure,” he told Hull Live. “I’m trying to find new energy in the team because we are short.
“We are short on some positions, and I will decide who will start the game, but we will try to find that we are good with energy, with the intensity that we can press in some moments.”
The Tigers head coach is also keen to see a repeat of the fervent atmosphere generated when City beat Sheffield United last month in the Yorkshire derby, and says his players will do their best to excite the home supporters.
“I want to hear our fans at home as well,” he continued. “Like when we are away, because sometimes I’m thinking they are too loud at away games. I don’t know how, but at home we need more, even more like against Sheffield United. I liked that very much, and to put pressure on the opponents, on the referees and on everything.
“I saw in the Derby game that the crowd put a lot of pressure on some decisions of the referee, but the referee stood by his own decisions. I expect a full stadium, but this doesn’t put pressure on us. We need to enjoy because with such a football style we have done this till now, so we have to continue like this.”
Pompey will arrive in East Yorkshire on the back of Wednesday night’s goalless draw against Wrexham at Fratton Park, which ended a run of three straight defeats. John Mousinho’s men have just one away win in their six so far, but Jakirovic is fully aware of the threats they pose, especially with Josh Murphy on the flank.
“If you watch against Wrexham, they played a little bit more pragmatically,” he explained. “Even with five behind, 5-4-1, especially when they are their own half in the low zone, they are with five, and they try to press normal with 4-3-3. They have a good team. I watched the game against Leicester, and they played an equal game.
“I am expecting maybe a more pragmatic game on Saturday, but it’s always my opinion, it’s always concentration on us, how we will be because we are playing at home and they are under the pressure for sure, and we will try to use their stress or negative results to beat them because we are playing home, we will try, we will do everything to take three points.”
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