Sergej Jakirovic praises Hull City's best home performance of his tenure, rather than dwelling on Millwall defeat
Sergej Jakirovic praised Hull City's best home performance in his time as coach, rather than dwell on a second defeat in a week to play-off rivals.
That Hull lost 3-1 at home to Millwall was no reflection on their performance as a whole, but Lions manager Alex Neil hit the nail on the head when he said: "What counts is what happens in both boxes."
Both sides hit the crossbar, but Jake Cooper's effort bounced into the net whilst headers by Hull pair Kyle Joseph and Charlie Hughes either side of it bounced out.
When Joseph did find the net it was bewildering chalked off for an alleged Oli McBurnie foul on Millwall goalkeeper Alex Patterson. But the Tigers had to take the blame for sloppy defending for al three goals the away team scored.
Over the game as a whole, though, they played very well, and that is what Jakirovic preferred to focus on.
"I think that we played very well, this is maybe the best home performance since I've been here and I congratulate to my players now in the dressing room because this is the way how we must continue," said the former Bosnia midfielder, in his first season as Hull coach.
"Unfortunately we lost the game but this is football.
"If we continue like this, (there is) no chance that you will not take something in the next games.
"I'm happy with this performance because we played well, what we prepared we tried to put on the pitch – first/second balls, long throw-ins, set-pieces, except for this goal I think that we controlled everything there and I didn't feel that we were in danger there from a middle ball, but you never know, this is football, you can always make some mistakes."
He did, though, concede, that all three Millwall goals were "cheap."
"We prepared everything about set-pieces and throw-ins because they have very high efficiency in those moments," said Jakirovic.
"Maybe our set-up for this first goal (by Cooper) was not so good because they had an extra men there – No 4, (Tristan) Crama – so we should move more on that side and they used that.
"Until 75th minutes, I think we controlled everything, we tried to push there and then two mistakes, two goals but this is football.
"Congratulations to Millwall on three points.
"But it's not about Ivor (Pandur, at fault for Mihailo Ivanovic's goal), Semi (Ajayi, whose wayward pass set up Josh Coburn for the third), Lewie (Coyle) or I don't know who. Hull City conceded a goal and that's it.
"We are one team and we will continue together."
"Goal all day," was his verdict on Joseph's disallowed goal.
"How is it a McBurnie foul if McBurnie is in front of the goalkeeper?" he asked.
"This is the reason why I always speak about VAR. We can complain about VAR, about how long they check situation but it's fair."
Neil was not hiding from the fact Hull were the better team, but he gave his team deserved credit for winning regardless.
"I think it's a pleasing victory for us but it certainly wasn't an impressive performance," he said.
"I thought Hull performance-wise were better but we defend our box well, we dig in and we do the basics, in the main, pretty well.
"In the second half I could only see them scoring next at 1-1.
"Hull have won that type of games probably six or seven times this season.
"I thought Hull were good today. They are where they are in the league on merit."