Manager of the Month or Clown of the Year?
If there has been one manager who has added enjoyment to the Premiership this season, it is Phil Brown of Hull City.
Good old Mr. Brown has been acting like he is managing in a long gone era, and i can't remember a manager who has been as eccentric or as single minded as he has during my time watching the English game. Sure we have had Kevin Keegan and his 'i would love it' rants back in the mid-90s, and we even had Joe Kinnear (another Newcastle Manager - is there something about the Black & White nation that attracts them) going crazy this season to a bunch of journalists, but nothing has matched Phil Brown this season for me.
The season started for Hull with 4 victories against London clubs and a team of unshaven footballers and manager to boot. This was done to raise awareness for Testicular Cancer after their goalkeeper - Matt Duke - beat the disease last year. As noble a cause as this was - combined with his Matrix style jackets - it immediately made Mr. Brown stick out as a man with a bit of character about him.
As results started to turn against the newly promoted Yorkshire-men, cracks started to appear. First, Tigers legend Dean Windass left the club, complaining of a bizarre style of management that lacked structure and leadership. Things would soon get even more crazy.
In December, following a particularly bad first half performance against Manchester City (who incidentally have impressed at home all season), Phil Brown decided to hold the half-time talk on the pitch... the team didn't recover in the second half and results since that day have been noticeably worse.
Finally, Mr. Brown has also been mocked for his tan (which he repeatedly claims is all natural), and has been responsible for some classic interviews, particular when asked questions about striker Geovanni.
As to how much he has lost the dressing room, this was highlighted last week when the entire first team declined on mass an invitation of a team bonding session at the dogs.
Will Brown keep Hull up? he could with even a defeat next week against a weekend Manchester United side. I for one hope he does, Brown brings a level of entertainment to the Premiership that is unparalleled.
ET
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