'You have to be very wise' - Hull City's Sergej Jakirovic on his experience of huge two-legged play-off
Sergej Jakirovic's experience of one of football's most important play-offs will come to the fore on Friday when Hull City go from a must-win game at home to Norwich City to something slightly different with Millwall in town.
The Tigers face the Lions in a two-legged Championship play-off semi-final, with the first leg at home.
Much is made of how high the stakes are in the final, but Jakirovic came through something similarly transformative two years ago.
"It's a completely different approach," he cautioned. "In the last round you must win and still you might not be in the top six.
"I think it will be easier to play because you have 180 minutes.
"I have experience from Dinamo (Zagreb) when we had a play-off (to reach) the Champions League.
"You have to be very wise. It will not decide anything, the first game. There are no away goals (counting double if the scores are level). It's who will handle the pressure better.
"No matter this result on Friday, Monday (and the second leg at the New Den) will be everything.
"We will try to hide our minuses. It's not so easy because we know them, they know us.
"It depends who will be in the mood to play one-on-ones, to pass the players, to make successful crosses into the box, who will score their chances."
Kit men are often an invaluable source of wisdom at times like this, and John Eyre had a story from Hull’s last play-off success.
"When Hull City finished third (in 2016), all season they were in the top two” Jakirovic recounted. “They beat Derby County in the first game away 3-0.
"In the second leg, 2-0 for Derby at half-time (it finished that way to set up a final against Sheffield Wednesday). Especially in England, everything is possible."
In many ways, Jakirovic's team has similar characteristics to the one built by Millwall's Alex Neil, a play-off winner with Hamilton Academical, Norwich and Sunderland.
"He took 120 per cent from his team," said an admiring Jakirovic.
"They have individuals who are capable of finding a way to win – with one move, one dribble, one shot. We also have this.
"We are similar teams in terms of running, in terms of the duels, in terms of playing style of football. Maybe similar at set-pieces as well."The two games (when the sides met in the regular Championship season), 3-1 results (for the away teams), were 50-50 games. Who can put the pressure on more?
"You can take some lessons but it's a new game, new challenge.
"All the players will give 1,000 per cent to get the Premier League."
Jakirovic has no fresh injuries and Cody Drameh back in training, but too late for in the semi-final. With the games so close, he will be wary of spreading the load.
"Matt Cook had cramp (on Saturday), now he is okay," he said. "John Egan is okay.
"Mo Belloumi was off the pitch for a few weeks so in some situations, it's maybe too difficult for him.
"This is a second-day game, which is a little bit weird because there are no games after (for 12 days).
"We have 13 or 14 players for the starting XI in our mind. It depends on the first game, how we finish.
"God knows who will finish this season after these two games."