Hull City

Owain Gwynedd Griffith
BBC Final Score reporter

Image source, Getty Images

The Tigers slump to another away defeat - 5 April the last win on the road. It is not the result or performance that's of greatest concern to the travelling fans but keeping this squad together before the transfer window closes.

With the club under transfer restrictions, fans are desperate not to lose Saturday's captain Charlie Hughes. Coventry are keen on the centre-half and have allegedly had a third bid rejected. This follows the departure of Sean McLoughlin to Blackburn back in July.

With gaping holes in the defence in the opening 45 minutes against Bristol City, you are left wondering how they will plug the leaky defence if he leaves. They have conceded seven goals in the last two matches.

At the other end of the pitch, Joel Ndala and David Akintola are frighteningly quick and seem like decent signings alongside the nuisance Ollie McBurnie.

Scoring goals won't be the problem but keeping them out will.

David Akintola said he has "settled in very well" to life with Hull City as the Championship club prepare for Saturday's fixture away to Bristol City.

The forward played for Adana Demirspor and Caykur Rizespor in Turkey before making the switch to the Tigers this season.

"I have settled in very well. The guys in the team and the staff they have made me settle in well, and I like the city, it is good to be here," he told BBC Radio Humberside.

"I have trained with the team and I am in a good shape. I feel good and I am ready to play.

"When I was at home and on holiday I was making sure I was training all the time. When I got here it wasn't that much of a difference, but there is a difference between training on holiday and training with a team."

It is the first time the 29-year-old has played in England having started his career in Denmark at Midtjylland.

But it is not the first time he has heard of Hull having followed the club's top-flight campaigns of the past.

"Growing up in Nigeria we all knew Hull City from back when they were playing in the Premier League," he said.

"So, to be able to get a call from them, it is a no brainer, and when I got the call, I couldn't say no - it was an easy decision to be here."

Bristol City are yet to lose in the league this season, but did go out of the Carabao Cup in the second round against Fulham.

"If Bristol City haven't lost this season, they will have to lose to us first as we are mentally ready, physically ready, and focused.

"We are going there with the mindset of getting three points, and I hope we will get the three points."

Listen to the full interview with David Akintola and more on BBC Sounds

Bristol City host Hull City on Saturday (15:00 BST) with both sides only suffering the one defeat so far this season.

Gerhard Struber's Robins are unbeaten in the Championship so far picking up five points after back-to-back draws followed an opening day romp at Sheffield United, with the Austrian's only loss being in the EFL Cup on Wednesday to Premier League side Fulham.

Hull's unbeaten league start came to an end last weekend following a 3-0 defeat to Blackburn Rovers, but manager Sergej Jakirovic says his squad are prepared for the game after an illness struck the squad.

• Bristol City have lost just one of their past 14 league games against Hull City (W7 D6), with that a 2-1 defeat in July 2022.

• Hull City have won just one of their past 27 away league games against Bristol City (D7 L19), conceding 2.5 goals on average per visit to Ashton Gate in that time.

• Bristol City are unbeaten across their opening three league games this season (W1 D2), last going four undefeated to start a league campaign in 2020-21.

• Hull have won just one of their past eight away league games (D4 L3), failing to score in three of their last four.

• Bristol City have lost just one of their past 16 home league games (W11 D4), conceding multiple goals in just one match during that stint.

Hull City boss Sergej Jakirovic says his squad are fully fit after several players were recently laid low by a virus.

The Bosnian says there are no new injuries, with Charlie Hughes back in training ahead of their trip to Bristol City on Saturday (15:00 BST).

He also said a decision will be taken on Friday on whether Louis Coyle will be back for the game.

"He (Coyle) is a captain, he's very important as a leader, he has lots of quality as well," Jakirovic told BBC Radio Humberside.

On the anticipated signing of Amir Hadziahmetovic on loan from Besiktas, Jakirovic said: "I'm pleased with him because we missed a few options in the middle. He can play number six or eight.

"We are closing this deal and he wants to come here. I think he will improve this group a lot, with his professionalism after 10 years in Turkey.

"He has great personality. He will be a great reinforcement."

Listen to the full interview and more on BBC Sounds.

Hull boss Sergej Jakirovic felt a virus among the squad was a factor in the 3-0 loss at home to Blackburn, but admitted the visitors deserved their win.

Key defender Charlie Hughes and summer signing Akin Famewo missed the match because they were ill, while others played despite being under the weather.

"A very disappointing day for us. After 20 minutes we had some chances to score and then we made one mistake in our defence which they punished with a goal," Jakirovic told BBC Radio Humberside.

"At half-time we tried to change things and they then punished us with two quick goals. In the end I must congratulate Blackburn on a deserved win.

"We had a lot of problems before this game. We missed some players and had a virus in our dressing room, so this is maybe a key question of energy and intensity.

"We must analyse this game, keep going and keep working."

Hull City are keen to sign Liverpool attacker Lewis Koumas on loan with Sheffield United and Wrexham also believed to be interested in the 19-year-old. (The 72), external

The Tigers are prevented from making permanent signings because of an English Football League embargo.

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Friday's gossip column here.

Hull City will aim for back-to-back home wins when they host Blackburn Rovers on Saturday (12:30 BST).

The Tigers are unbeaten in the Championship so far whilst Rovers seek their first win of the season.

• Hull City have won three of their last four league games against Blackburn Rovers (L1), which is as many victories as across their prior 16 meetings combined (D4 L9).

• Blackburn Rovers have won four of their last six away league games against Hull City (L2), which is as many victories as in their prior 13 league visits.

• Hull City remain unbeaten in the Championship this season (W1 D1) and could go three league games unbeaten at the start of the season for successive campaigns for the first time since 1993-94.

• Blackburn Rovers have lost each of their opening two league games this season. They last lost their opening three matches of a campaign back in 2016-17 when they were ultimately relegated to League One.

Image source, Getty Images

Hull City boss Sergej Jakirovic has revealed he would like to sign Bosnia and Herzegovina midfielder Amir Hadziahmetovic on loan from Besiktas.

The Tigers are prevented from making permanent signings because of an English Football League embargo.

But they can bring in loan players and Jakirovic admits he wants Hadziahmetovic.

"Yeah, of course, we need such a profile," he told BBC Radio Humberside. "He can improve this group for sure, number six or number eight.

"He has big experience. He's almost 10 years in Turkey. That shows his quality.

"Besiktas have brought some players in and he's searching where he can play. We will try to close this deal."

"You've only got to look at some of the clubs in the Premier League that have been spending hundreds of millions and not necessarily moving on.

"Sometimes developing what you've got, taking the squad and saying 'it's not perfect but we are a team together'... building an 'us against the world' mentality can work in a club's favour."

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire breaks down the EFL's decision to reduce Hull City's spending restriction from three transfer windows to two, including why they chose not to drop them completely and how it doesn't spell total doom and gloom for the side this season.

Listen to Maguire's full analysis and more on BBC Sounds.

Hull City forward Abu Kamara looks set for a move to La Liga in Spain.

He is being linked with a move to Getafe. (Hull Live), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Monday's gossip column here.

Image source, Getty Images

Hull City manager Sergej Jakirovic spoke to BBC Radio Humberside after his side's 3-2 Championship victory over Oxford United.

"I'm very happy with this first home win in an official game, of course. I think we entered in the game excellent, very good," he said.

"This is very good for our mentality that we believed until [the] end. We didn't change our style [of play], we were very good in possession.

"It's not easy to break down the opponent because they're almost eight or nine players behind the ball always, and you need good combination, good technique, first touch, running in the space."

On match-winner Oli McBurnie, he said: "He proved already many times he can be the decision maker.

"He's very important for us because you see immediately in the training ground he's a leader.

"The boys like him very much already, he's positive and this is important."

Two sides seeking their first win go head-to-head at the MKM Stadium on Sunday (15:00 BST) as Oxford United head to Hull City.

Sergej Jakirovic's Tigers picked up a battling point from a stalemate at Coventry on the opening day, but the U's went down 1-0 at home to Portsmouth in their first game.

• Hull City are unbeaten across their past nine home league games against Oxford United (W6 D3), winning each of their last three in succession whilst netting 2+ goals in each.

• Oxford United have only won one of their past five Football League games against Hull City (D1 L3); a 1-0 victory at home in November last season.

• Hull have lost their opening home game of a league season in just two of the prior 13 seasons (W9 D2), a run which has seen them concede just 14 goals in total.

• Oxford last lost each of their opening two league games of a season back in 2020-21, though have avoided that fate in each of their last six campaigns in the second tier.

• Last season in the Championship, only relegated Plymouth (48) attempted fewer shots on target on the road than Oxford (61), with the U's also recording the second-fewest touches in the opposition's penalty area (306).

Hull City manager Sergej Jakirovic says his players should take the positives from their defeat by Wrexham on penalties in their Carabao Cup first-round tie.

The game ended 3-3 when striker Ollie Palmer came on and scored two injury-time goals to force the shootout, which the Red Dragons won 5-3.

After failing to make round two, Jakirovic wants to look forward to Sunday's home game against Oxford United in the Championship (15:00 BST).

"The boys gave everything on the pitch, I think looking forwards it's good," Jakirovic told BBC Radio Humberside.

"I said to them to keep their heads up and that Sunday is a new game to look forward to.

"Thank you to the fans, I felt like we were playing at home, the atmosphere was great."

Listen to the full interview and more on BBC Sounds.

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Hull are confident of keeping defender Charlie Hughes at the MKM Stadium.

The Tigers have rejected two bids from Championship rivals Coventry, the last being £7m, for the 21-year-old.

Hull sold Jacob Greaves to Ipswich for £17m last summer and it is expected any offer for Hughes would need to eclipse that to even be considered.

But the Tigers are also under a transfer embargo and unable to sign players for a fee, meaning they would not be able to reinvest the money for a replacement, leaving them determined to keep Hughes.

He joined Hull from Wigan last summer as a replacement for Greaves - winning the club's Young Player of the Year award - and has made 28 appearances, including Saturday's opening 0-0 draw at Coventry.

Image source, Rex Features

Hull City head coach Sergej Jakirovic says he was happy to pick up a point on his debut in English football.

Bosnian Jakirovic took over at MKM Stadium this summer after Ruben Selles was sacked.

And his new-look team came through a tough assignment at last season's play-off semi-finalists Coventry City.

"I'm very happy with the point, especially the beginning of the season when you never know where you are after the preparation," he told BBC Radio Humberside.

"It's very confident for the boys to see they can play against favourites as Coventry for me is in the top five in this league.

"It's a very promising point for us."