Sergej Jakirovic happy with Hull City's substance over style but blasts referee
Sergej Jakirovic said his players took on board the lessons of Saturday's defeat to Queens Park Rangers as they ended a sequence of four games without a victory.
Coach Jakirovic said he was not so bothered about how they did it, but they played some good attacking football in the 4-2 home win over Derby County, and would have won more comfortably but for some poor defending and refereeing.
Craig Forsyth scored the Rams' first equaliser despite being offside, and it summed up an inconsistent performance from referee Adam Herczeg and had Jakirovic once more calling for the introduction of video assistant referees in the Championship.
The football Hull played was deliberately direct, but no less entertaining for that.
"I'm very happy because the players showed great team effort, a lot of fighting over the pitch, first and second ball, front foot, a lot of challenges," said Jakirovic.
"We changed our style today, we didn't have build-up, open play sometimes, because of the condition of the pitch, we were very pragmatic.
"But we were very aggressive in those challenges, and from then we scored nice two goals (in the first half). Of course, first goal is from a set-piece (corner), but we had good chances.
"We have to continue like this.
"I said to the lads, I don't care about the impression, this is for something, maybe next time. I just care that we take three points. That was very important.
"We took our lessons from QPR because I was very angry on Saturday, the players know that. We cannot lose our tactical discipline there that we have. It's 1-1 in 18 minutes, and then until 90, we can consider three, four goals.
"So that was the reason why I was very angry. And I think they responded very well.
"I'm very direct in this analysis after the game.
"They showed today that we can play pragmatic football."
Slack defending contributed to both Derby's goals, which cancelled out a Callum Elder own goal, then Oli McBurnie's shot on the turn before Hull pulled away wit late goals from John Egan and substitute Lewis Koumas.
Jakirovic was loathe to blame his defenders, though.
"Every time it's poor when you concede," he commented, but it's offside. It's clear offside.
"This changes the momentum of the game.
"I think that he lost control in the first half after his yellow card to No 7 (Patrick Agyemang, in the second minute).
"He must manage the game. Maybe it's too much for him, too big a game.
"There is no consistency, and this is something I'm worried about.
"There are a lot of challenges, a lot of hands, a lot of pushing, pulling.
"We need VAR."
Not that it was all Herczeg's fault.
"When we have our set-up on the corner, I think it's okay, because we always clear this ball," added Jakirovic. "But the second ball, I think that we felt we needed a better reset."
The bad news for Hull was that Hirakawa's loan spell from Bristol City appears to be over.
The Japan forward injured his ankle against the Rs, and is not expected to play again this season.
The Tigers will now register fellow winger David Akintola, who they looked to move on in the winter transfer window, but failed to find a taker for.
The victory moved Hull up to fourth in the Championship, behind Ipswich Town on goal difference havign played a game more. The sides meet at Portman Road next week.
Ryan Giles went off with a hamstring injury.