Sergej Jakirovic says he will be patient with some of Hull City’s summer arrivals, as they wait for their chance to make an impact in the Premier League.
Christos Mouzakitis is one of those players yet to make an impact in the top-flight following his big-money arrival from Greek giants Olympiacos, with some supporters questioning why he’s not yet made a league debut, given he’s played in the Champions League on 10 occasions.
So far, his only outing in England came in the Carabao Cup exit at Sunderland early in September, when Jakirovic gave him the final 30 minutes in the North East, and he was again left out of the squad that drew 1-1 with Brentford on Sunday. Twenty-four hours later, he was in the side that drew 2-2 away to Manchester United’s Under-21s on Monday, clocking up valuable minutes. Robinio Vaz got himself on the scoresheet from the penalty spot, while the Red Devils scored an own goal, along with a brace from Shea Lacey.
Mouzakitis was the Tigers’ 18th and final signing of a frantic final few days of the summer window, when he arrived in a deal thought to be worth in the region of €15m (£12.5m).
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Jakirovic says it takes time for new players to adjust to life in a new country, a different league, and at the age of 19, he is still young and learning his way, in a similar fashion to 20-year-old Norwegian ace Jens Hjerto-Dahl.
There’s also the small matter of the level of competition in the middle of the park, with fellow new arrivals Tim Iroegbunam, Lucas Gourna-Douath and Hidemasa Morita competing with Matt Crooks and Regan Slater for a place in a competitive part of the pitch, while City don’t currently operate with a number-10-type playmaker.
“It’s very difficult for him because in this position, it’s a very big competition, very big competition,” Jakirovic told Hull Live. “Imagine now that Morita and Tim, if they didn’t have problems. They will play because we brought them to play. We also have Slater and Crooks there.
“Crooksy also had some problems. We have Gourna there. I’ve already mentioned five. We have Jens, we have Christos, so it’s seven players for right now, two positions. It’s very difficult. But you have to train, you have to improve, you have to adapt because this is a completely different level from Olympiacos, from the Greek league, a completely different level.”
Jakirovic says the teenager is settling in well at both the club and the area itself, and so, too, is Hjerto-Dahl. Both were scheduled to play 90 minutes against Lincoln City last Tuesday, before that game was cancelled, and then featured at Carrington on Monday afternoon.
“He’s OK. I spoke with him. I spoke with him, with Jens, because they are very young. It’s a big step for them, and also, we are trying to find the minutes to play this game with Lincoln so that I have the right information about them.”
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