Tigers are a team to be feared now

STATS SHOW CITY ARE A THREAT

- By BARRY COOPER

Hull City's Matt Crooks celebrates after scoring his side's second goal against Oxford

(SCOTT HEPPELL/ PA WIRE)

It's been a positive start to the season for Hull City after their well-documented troubles over the course of the summer months off the field.

Saturday's 3-1 win over promotion favourites Southampton was their best performance in the early weeks of the season, and perhaps gave an indication of why the Tigers could prove to be a dangerous outfit this term.

While the sorry Saints had all the ball, most of it was in areas where City were not troubled.

The Saints' 612 passes compared to the Tigers' 252 show a huge chasm of difference, but it was the hosts who delivered the crucial punches when required.

It was an expert delivery of how to control a game without the ball, and then the mistakes came.

Sergej Jakirovic's side were there to punish their opponent with clinical precision.

In the early weeks of the campaign, the Tigers looked a bit of a mess defensively after their opening day clean sheet at Coventry City, but in the past couple of games, Jakirovic has managed to tighten things up a little bit.