Hull City manager Sergey Yakirovich has reflected on his team's 2-1 defeat to Newcastle in the Premier League, expressing pride in their fighting spirit, particularly in the second half.
Yakirovich conceded that Hull struggled in the first half, but noted a significant turnaround after the interval:
"I am very proud of the team and how they fought. This is our mentality, our character. Despite playing at St James' Park, we were the better side in the second half."
The manager identified the poor first-half performance as pivotal to the outcome of the match:
"Unfortunately, we weren't present on the pitch in the first half, and perhaps that is where we lost the game. If we had scored in the first half, the result could have been different."
After the break, Hull created several chances but couldn't find the equaliser.
"We had a lot of moments in the second half, but we just couldn't get the ball in the net. Congratulations to Newcastle."
Yakirovich elaborated on what had gone wrong before half-time:
"In the first half, we were doing everything we shouldn't have done, especially when completely defending ourselves."
A key issue was Hull's failure to protect the space between defence and midfield:
"We didn't defend that area well enough. Newcastle have quality, and they took advantage of it."
Despite the defeat, Yakirovich refused to dwell on the negatives, reminding everyone that football can change dramatically within a single half.
After the final whistle, he also addressed the situation surrounding the opposing technical area.
"For me, it seems quite strange. When I look at the opposing technical zone, there are constantly three or four staff members present."
He explained that his concern was less about the staff's presence and more about the ability to communicate effectively with players:
"Only one person can occupy the technical area. Sometimes we give instructions to players, but they can't hear us due to the noise."
Yakirovich emphasized that he did not blame the referees directly:
"It's not about complaining to the referee. It's about instructions. There is a rule, and we must respect it."
