'Jakirovic didn't want to give anything away in pre-season' - Holden
Hull City boss Sergej Jakirovic kept his plan to topple Manchester United on their Premier League return under wraps for weeks, assistant head coach Dean Holden told Match of the Day. The Tigers produced a sensational 2-0 win over Michael Carrick's side on Saturday, all while deploying a back five. Jakirovic altered his tactics for the game, having watched a couple of United's pre-season matches,…
Sergej Jakirovic, manager of Hull City, kept his strategy to defeat Manchester United secret for weeks, revealed assistant head coach Dean Holden. The Tigers secured a 2-0 victory over United on Saturday, fielding a back five. Jakirovic adapted his tactics after observing United's pre-season games, particularly the 4-2 loss to AC Milan orchestrated by former boss Ruben Amorim.
When asked about the tactic, Holden stated, "Sergej had it in the back of his mind for three or four weeks that he wanted to play a back five." However, he emphasized that Jakirovic didn't want to reveal anything during pre-season, so they played a back four instead. The Tigers' comfortable style of play, which includes limited possession, is not a concern for Hull, according to Holden.
He affirmed, "We are comfortable without the ball, and it isn't like we are coming up here having dominated the Championship and now we have to change our style." Hull's strengths include a mid-block and counter-attacking play, which they effectively utilized against United.
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