City start a run of seven games in 21 days
Sergej Jakirovic has masterminded a terrific season at Hull City(Image: Mike Egerton/PA Wire)
As they stare down the start line of the latest 21 day sprint, Hull City head coach Sergej Jakirovic has stressed the importance of the team needing to return to winning ways today. The Tigers host Queens Park Rangers in the lunchtime kick-off, with the game the first of seven inside 21 busy days of Championship action.
City host Derby County on Tuesday night as they begin a rhythm of Saturday – Tuesday games over the next three weeks, with 21 points up for grabs in as many days.
Hitting a purple patch of form could bring a significant points return in a short space of time, with the Tigers lying fifth in the Championship table, two points off Millwall in third and six ahead of Wrexham just outside the play-offs, with a midweek trip next month to play Phil Parkinson’s side part of the forthcoming run of matches.
Beaten by Bristol City last time out in the league and having struggled to break the deadlock against Watford before that, City have taken one point from the last six available and need to reverse that trend, as Jakirovic concedes.
“It is always focus on the next game and taking it game by game. So QPR is the most important game right now,” says Jakirovic.
“But we have only taken one point the last two home games, so it is a very important game Saturday if we want to achieve the highest places. We will do everything to take three points.
“It is a lot of games coming up though in a short period. Playing Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday is very difficult, we will need all the players.”
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City’s squad continues to be thinned out by injuries, but Charlie Hughes could return and Oli McBurnie almost certainly will, for a game which the hosts know they need to win.
“We knew this run was coming,” added Jakirovic, who rested McBurnie and Hughes last time out in the FA Cup defeat to Chelsea, with this period of the season in mind.
“If we can take 50 per cent of the points on offer in this period we will be in a very good position. It is impossible to say how we will do, but we know if we take points we will be in a very good position. Everyone is fighting for something in the Championship. I hope we can get on a run again and have three or four victories in a row, that would be perfect.”
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