Hull City v Millwall: Sergej Jakirovic enjoying Tigers' unpredictability
Sergej Jakirovic is enjoying his Hull City set-up being hard to predict at the moment, but he wishes Championship referees were a bit more reliable.
As they did last Tuesday and as they will next, the Tigers face fellow promotion contenders, this time in the shape of Millwall.
The Lions are renowned for a very clear, very physical identity, so Hull should know what to expect in Saturday's 12.30pm kick-off.
As Jakirovic put it: "They are strong, they are a tough team, physically very good height, two good wingers, strikers, so we have to prepare everything well if we want to take something from this game."
What formation the hosts will use is harder to second-guess, not least because injuries in some positions, most noticeably at left-back, have left Jakirovic having to be creative.
Normally a 4-2-3-1 side, they fielded three at the back at Ipswich Town on Tuesday, having twice used that formation in February.
The Tractor Boys won 1-0 but the way Hull played earned plaudits from their highly-rated manager Kieran McKenna.
"We have a good connection and he's doing a great job there," commented Jakirovic. "It's not easy to take something from Ipswich, because they were 12 unbeaten (at home in the league).
"This is the reason why we choose this formation, why we play like this. Maybe you can go there and play openly and then they will destroy you because they are very good.
"I think it's better that we have a few ways to play some games, it's not always that you are predictable.
"I know from other clubs it's sometimes very tricky (to know) how we will play, which formation, what we will choose.
"We will be pragmatic. We play more with the ball but sometimes you must show other qualities.
"We have 60 points, this is not by accident. We deserve every point.
"Sometimes we play better and we don't get any points and sometimes we play average or below average and we will win. But internally we know everything and we try to improve every moment of our play.
"It's always frustrating when you lose the game, but this is life, so we must take lessons from this game because I think we were good defensively, very good.
"When I watch now the GPS (statistics) it's in the top five for running, high-intensity sprinting, everything.
"Unfortunately in this situation (Ipswich scored from) we didn't react well, we can defend that, but also it's the individual quality of Ipswich players."
Jakirovic was unhappy to see tackles which have left Lewie Coyle and Amir Hadziahmetovic doubtful for today's game go unpunished – at least by bookings – whilst Matt Crooks picked up a 10th yellow card of the campaign, ruling him out against Millwall and Wrexham away on Tuesday.
"Dean (Holden, Jakirovic’s assistant) spoke with Kevin Friend (the head of Championship referees), and sometimes we call him, we have some questions, just so that we are clear,” he said. “But it's not Kevin Friend (who is the problem), he's not on the pitch.
"I know the referees have instructions but sometimes you must manage the situation better.
"It's not that you are not allowed to make mistakes, this is normal, but sometimes I feel there is no consistency. When you see fouls, he whistles against you, then you have maybe the same challenge, they will not whistle.
"Towards the end of the game your nerves increase, so maybe I make a mistake as well. I'm not right sometimes, maybe I'm subjective sometimes. This is all normal."