City’s wretched away record at Ashton Gate continued in a crazy game at Ashton Gate
Hull City head coach Sergei Jakirovic admitted he doesn’t recognise his side at the moment after the Tigers were beaten 4-2 at Bristol City on Saturday, and is desperate for the transfer window to close so he can get things back to normal.
The Tigers led after three minutes when Joe Gelhardt slotted in from David Akintola’s perfectly timed through ball, but things soon unravelled with the visitors conceding three times to trail 3-1 at the break after some desperate defending
Former transfer target Max Bird stepped off the bench to crash in a fourth in the second half before Kyle Joseph cleverly turned in his first Tigers goal in added time to round off the scoring in a game which saw both sides share 49 attempts.
Jakirovic feels the impact of the transfer window has played a part in his City side delivering two below-par displays to lose twice in the past week, amid speculation about two of their key players in Ivor Pandur and Charlie Hughes.
“For us coaches, this is a nightmare,” he told Hull Live. “Forty-nine shots on the goal. This is a lot, very open football, very open. We entered the game very well, took a lead and then, with the ball in our possession, we couldn’t do anything, anything. They were quicker than us, better challenges, every one of our mistakes; they punished us with a goal in the first half.
“At half-time, I had a very nice conversation with my team, then I think we entered the second half, and for almost 30 minutes, we were very good and we had three or four very nice goal chances. Radek Vitek made a very good save to stop Oli McBurnie from making it 3-2. This is an unbelievable save.
“We have problems in defence. We are in full defence with 11 players behind the ball, and we conceded the fourth goal. This, for me, is unacceptable.”
City have now conceded three goals twice, a two and now four since the opening day clean sheet at Coventry City. Jakirovic admits mistakes happen, but he says his players have to get back to their principles.
“I don’t know,” he continued when it was put to him that his side were a defensive mess. “We prepared for everything. Today you know every team how they will play. You know everything. These are human beings, and sometimes they make mistakes, like, for example, Charlie. I cannot blame anyone. This is football. This is a game of mistakes, but we must take more responsibility.
“What bothers me is that we gave up on our basic principles, football principles. You cannot lose your head every time we concede a goal. We are a professional team, so it must be better.
“We need to stick to our tactical plan, no matter how the situation is on the pitch, because sometimes, after Bristol City went a goal up, they pressed us very well. For 25 minutes, we couldn’t do anything, and this is also the quality of Bristol. I think that we lost possession 25 times in our half in the first half; this is the information from my analyst. Everything is clear.”
Coventry have seen a flurry of bids rejected, and there is a growing expectation that Ivor Pandur could yet move on before the deadline, and Jakirovic admits it’s having an impact.
“Yes, it can be for sure,” he said on the impact of the window on individual players and the collective group. “I cannot wait for this transfer period to be finished. You were with us in pre-season, you watched the games against Sunderland, Getafe, everything. The first three games, Coventry away, Wrexham away, no matter about penalties, but on the pitch and then Oxford at home.
“And now in the last two games, we lost focus, we lost concentration, everything. Some players I cannot recognise. I’m telling the truth because I’m like this, I’m direct. We have to change things, and this is the reason I cannot wait for Monday at 7pm.”
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