Shota Arveladze tells Hull City players they need to be more reactive after 3-0 defeat to Stoke City

By the time the Tigers started playing against Stoke City on Tuesday, it was too late.

The Potters were 2-0 up at half-time thanks to a deflected Nathan Baker free-kick and another headed in by Ben Wilmot. It allowed them to sit back and absorb pressure – including Oscar Estupinan hitting a post – before scoring the third and final goal of the game, again through Baker.

Hull have now lost four league matches this season, all in the last five games and all after conceding the opening goal.

"I feel terrible of course," said their coach, Arveladze. "It was very hard and difficult.

"I did not expect this. We trained well.

"We went away to Cardiff (for a game that never took place as a result of Queen Elizabeth II's death) but generally we trained well and worked well. We didn't have a game on Saturday which should give us more energy but the game went a different way.

"We're still waiting for something to happen before we react. We can't wait before we give a reaction.

"When it happens once it's okay but when it happens more and more it's difficult to get back into the game.

"That's what I'm worried about and trying to change somehow."

Asked how he hoped to change that, the Georgian replied: "It's just to talk to them and hear what they really see and how they see things. We've been talking and asking them just to go for it more."

The free-kicks from which Baker opened the scoring then provided the second were debatable but Arveladze refused to hide behind any excuses about them, though he did acknowledge goalkeeper Matt Ingram should have done much better when he came off his line to try to collect Baker's second free-kick but was unable to stop Wilmot being presented with a scoring chance he took.

Inevitably Arveladze was asked if he should consider a change of formation but he argued he does not have the players to do it fit and available.

"I don't want to make excuses but to change formation and go back to a four you need wingers, to play 4-4-2, you need two strikers," he argued.

"We don't have the right balance now with the real strikers out (injured) and the wing-backs out and the two who've just come in, and boys who've come in during the last three or four days."

On-loan Chelsea players Xavier SImons and Harvey Vale were not in the squad, despite not being injured.

"They've had three days, four days with the team and Vale's not really a striker, more a No 10," said Arveladze. "To put a young boy in when he's not really playing in his best position (is not fair). He could start or not be in the 18."