Sergej Jakirovic has been appointed Hull City manager 🐯 But who is he? What can #hcafc fans expect from their new man? In this thread, we analyse his flexible and adaptable style, using in game examples [THREAD] 🧵

The first thing to note is that this guy is a serial winner His win percentage is absolutely absurd across almost 300 games - 59% As we will see, he’s won games in all types of circumstances. He’s adaptable, but he always wins

What do I mean by different types of circumstances? Jakirovic has managed a wide range of teams, from the top sides in the division, to being tasked with a relegation firefight The fact he’s delivered results regardless of the situation is so impressive

The fact he’s managed different types of teams means this thread will have to be split into different parts When he’s managing a side expected to win, like Maribor or Dinamo, and also looking at when he’s up against it, like his most recent job, at Kayserispor

So how does he set his teams up? Once again, the theme here is adaptability Just as he adapts to different team requirements on a club expectation level, he also adjusts his teams shape on a game by game basis

Despite only being at Kayserispor for 17 games, he used a variety of different shapes Primarily he used a 4-2-3-1, but also added an extra defender at times (mainly away from home, against better sides), making it a 5-4-1, or even going for a more traditional midfield 3 in a

One thing to note straight away is the immediate defensive improvement he oversaw In the game before he took charge, they conceded 5 goals. In his first game they kept a clean sheet In fact, they conceded just 18 in 17 during his reign, 1.05 per game, keeping 6 clean sheets

This is how Jakirovic has built his success, wherever he has gone; by having a solid defence At Dinamo, where he won the league, his side conceded 0.83 per game. At Rijeka, just 0.73 per game His Mostar side, that also won the league, conceded 14 goals in 33 games

It could therefore be viewed as ironic, or perhaps even symbolic, that Jakirovic lost his job at Dinamo after a 9-2 loss to Bayern He builds his sides on defensive structure. So when that structure is breached, as Bayern did on 9 occasions in 1 night, then his sides don’t have

Due to the nature of his jobs changing, and the adaptability of his approach, his sides often look very different in possession Dinamo, a side you’d expect to dominate games, averaged just above 60% during his tenure Kayserispor by comparison have just 44.35%

Straight away we can see the way in which the team sets up out of possession, in terms of shape As we’ve covered so far, his sides are fluid and adaptable; and this applies to shape and the way they press too Here they’re in a clear 4-2-3-1 shape out of possession

They love to force the long ball (as we will see again in a moment) They’ve got aggressive CBs who are aerially dominant; one steps, forcing the turnover Also note that as the CB steps, the FBs tuck in narrow, to create a back 3 out of possession

What this move impressed upon me when watching is the efficiency with which they move the ball; but also the flair too Their game is built upon first time passing. This includes deft flicks (which isn’t super clear, but is taking place in pic 2) They create a shooting

Here’s another sequence which involves first time, quick passing; and another clever flick as well This is further up the pitch, so illustrates that this quick first time passing isn’t just in a counter attack; it’s part of how they play. The resulting cross creates a great

What I really like about their press is the fact they press in triangles It’s something Pep Lijnders speaks a lot about in his book (which I’m reading atm) ‘We attack with triangles, but we defend with triangles as well’

The role of the LW is so important to their system. He acts as an inside forward, as we saw in the 1st example, and here too Also note that they’ve moved to a 4-2-4 shape in possession; again, fluidity 3 passes and the LW is in; it comes from his willingness to make that run,

Here’s their out of possession shape again; now a 4-2-4 shape again Despite their fluidity, something does remain constant; how tight, narrow and compact their back 4 is, and how the midfield 2 in front screens them, offering an extra layer of protection

When playing against opposition he expected to dominate, Jakirovic switched to a very aggressive 4-1-4-1 formation As we can see, the sole midfield sits just in front of the back 4, with the 8s acting more like 10s, pushing up to be connected to the CF

This aggressive shape was present both in and out of possession, looking to commit men forwards to create those pressing triangles we discussed earlier

They showed this aggression all over the pitch. Here’s a good example of the CB stepping out to press the ball carrier Note how they then press with numbers, surrounding the player on the ball. They turn it over, and can create an breakaway as a result

Once again, the speed at which they play is clear to see. They’re always looking to play forwards, and if possible with first time passes The role of the LW is once again evident in this different shape. Despite the inside channel being occupied by the advanced 8, he’s still

We see this again with a passage of play from the first half. In 3 passes he is slipped inside the box, where he’s able to easily square it to the CF The relentless running of the LW is so important though. He’s not deterred if he isn’t found straight away. Jarinovic wants his

Once again, their back 4 is shown to be very narrow here. In fact, this is a constant theme; Jarinovic wants his FBs to tuck in, rather than press the winger, which would create a 1v1 In this sense they actually invite crosses into the box. This may be personnel dependent; he

Away from home against the bigger sides (in this example Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce) they would set up with a clear 5-4-1 shape The WBs would be in line with the CBs; more like traditional FBs, with the attacking width placed entirely on the wingers

They did tend to play with more discipline in these games, sitting slightly deeper, and sitting off the opposition Once again though, the way in which they pressed was key. Clearly they’d worked on their pressing triggers, and are able to turn the ball over here

As always, once they win the ball back, their first intention is to play forwards In just 3 passes they have the ball in the back of the net, away from home, against a side that are expected to beat them

Once again, they defended really narrow here, as they always do. But they do so even with the extra CB They let Saint-Maximin have the ball, and are happy for him to cross. I’ll be totally transparent though; he had a field day in this game. Was superb

Here’s just another shot to capture their 5-4-1 shape out of possession. Note how deep their side is in comparison to other games. Also note the spacing between the lines They’re more passive in this one, but only do so in certain spells in the game; as we will see next

Once again, they look to press in triangles. This is at 1-1, away from home against a much bigger and better side Yet they’re still willing to take risks. They’re still wanting to apply pressure all over the pitch. And that sums up how he wants his sides to play

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