Sergej Jakirovic’s Hull City stunned Manchester United and the rest of the Premier League during Saturday’s early showing of Premier League football.
The Tigers paired two first-half goals with some rather astute defending in the second half to mark their return to the top-flight with a win.
Although we are taught to expect the unexpected, this result would have been a stretch for even the most optimistic Hull supporter at the MKM Stadium.
The one man who saw it coming
One man who pre-empted such a result, though, was Hull boss Jakirovic. Ahead of the match, in his pre-match press conference, the Bosnian revealed he wanted ‘one more miracle’ ahead of the season opener against the Red Devils.
He said: “I’m very proud. It’s a big achievement. But this is football and you know what happened yesterday, it doesn’t matter anymore. It (staying up) will be an even bigger achievement. We need 40 points. Everything is very clear.
“We want to improve, we want to show that we can develop our players, that we can play an even better team. I hope we will show that this season. I’m aware that it’s a very big gap between the Championship and the Premier League, but also still this is football.”
This time last season, Jakirovic was the newly appointed Hull manager, following a poor 2024-25 season that saw them narrowly avoid relegation to League One by way of goal difference.
Ruben Selles was sacked in the summer, and a relatively unknown Jakirovic was brought in. The 49-year-old enjoyed major success with the Tigers, getting them to the play-offs on the final day of the Championship season.
He then guided Hull one step further, winning the play-off final at Wembley to send his side back up to the Premier League after almost a decade away.
Jarikovic described it as ‘the best thing to happen in football in my life’. Understandably so – Hull’s 1-0 win against Middlesbrough at Wembley was nothing short of a miracle given the context of their situation at the beginning of the campaign.
Jakirovic’s at the wheel
This season has begun in similar fashion. The 20-time Premier League champions came to town and got beaten 2-0 by the newcomers – and beaten well!
Hull dominated during attacking set-pieces, which was highlighted by their two goals, and displayed superb game management in the second half. They absorbed pressure well and remained compact at the back.
The most interesting thing about those two goals was what Jakirovic revealed at full time. In his post-match interview, he said: “We tried something in training on Friday. We had a plan to punish them and the way they stand.”
That observation from the Tigers boss was a masterstroke, and it’s that trait which makes him so special.
Jakirovic asked for just ‘one more miracle’, but this fairytale win may not be their last. Not while Jakirovic is spotting all the underlying weaknesses to exploit in the opposition.
More to come from the Tigers?
Next up, Hull face fellow newbies Coventry, before returning to the MKM to take on Unai Emery’s Aston Villa.
It will be a long season for the Tigers, who are favourites to finish rock bottom of the table by the end of May 2027.
However, Jakirovic has sent out a clear message that Hull can defy the odds this season. Do not write his boys off.
The tactics – watch now on YouTube
Written by Isabelle Martin
Leave a Reply