Jakirović eyes Championship top 10 ahead of new season
‘I LIKE ATTACKING FOOTBALL’: New head coach Sergej Jakirović
By Simon Bristow, Co-Editor
New Hull City head coach Sergej Jakirović has been set a target of a top ten finish in the Championship in his first season in charge.
The 48-year-old Bosnian takes the Tigers hot seat ahead of the new campaign on a two-year deal at the MKM Stadium following the sacking of predecessor Rubén Sellés in May.
Jakirović revealed his target for the season ahead as he fielded questions from reporters at his first press conference as City boss this afternoon.
HOT SEAT: Sergej Jakirović is City’s fourth manager in just over a year
Seated alongside owner and chairman Acun Ilıcalı and sporting director Jared Dublin, he was asked what target had been set and said: “I can say around ten places, top ten. But I know me, I believe in myself and also with my staff, we delivered in the past a lot of good results so we believe in our work and I hope we will be successful.”
A publicly stated target marks something of a new approach for the club under Ilıcalı, and at least gives supporters a yardstick with which to measure success and ambition. Although Sellés, who only had five months in charge, was sacked after City only stayed in the Championship on goal difference last season, another predecssor, Liam Rosenior, was shown the door after a seventh-placed finish in the 2023/24 season.
The initial aim for the new season was reinforced by Ilıcalı, who said: “We discussed it with Sergej and I explained it – our first target is top ten. I think top ten is a good performance for this year. If we can get to top ten that means that for the next year, we will be successful, and for the next year we will improve.”
He added: “Hopefully, everything goes good and we are in the top ten. For me it means that we will be in the top six in the next year, we will be one of the favourites.”
If the Tigers do reach that baseline playing how Jakirović intends they will have done so under the high-octane attacking style the chairman has long craved.
Asked to describe his approach, the new head coach said: “My style, my football philosophy, is adapt as soon as possible to the team to develop them. I like attacking football style but also we need such a depth of profile of the players and we train always how we want to play, this is for me the main sentence.
‘I’M VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE’: Sergej Jakirović
“During training we will build up through middle zone to finishing zone to create a lot of chances. I like high press also energy, intensity, but we will see what the future brings.”
That style, along with record and character, was crucial to his appointment, Ilıcalı said.
“For three years I have been describing to our fans what I want to see and actually it was the football I saw in Kayserispor [Jakirović’s previous club in Turkey] that I want to see my team play,” he said.
Although he has never managed in England before, Jakirović comes with a fine record with his teams averaging 1.84 goals per game and a win ratio of 58.9 per cent from 292 matches across four countries.
NEW TOP TEAM: From left, Sergej Jakirović, Acun Ilıcalı and Jared Dublin
Jakirović also revealed he was unconcerned about the high turnover of City managers under Ilıcalı, as he becomes the fourth in just over a year.
Asked if this had caused him to think hard about his decision to join, he said: “No, this is part of this job. If you don’t deliver results you know what will happen. So for me this is very simple – if you have results your job is fine.”
He added: “I’m very happy to be here because this is a big challenge for me and my staff. We will do everything to be successful here.”
City begin their campaign with a tough opener away at Coventry on August 9. Fans will have their first chance to welcome Jakirović to the MKM Stadium with the visit of Oxford on August 16.