To Hull and Back...

It's everything to do with being magnaminous to Phil Brown in his hour of triumph.
 
After the torrid time Brown endured at Pride Park no-one could blame him if he made hand signals at J25 of the M1 as he takes his Hull team to play at the top sides in the land.
 
A lot of his problems at Derby were self-induced but most of the situation was exacerbated by the boardroom situation and the fans starting to turn on the then owners.
 
No-one can blame Phil Brown for wanting to manage his own side after a long apprenticeship under Sam Allardyce at Bolton and a sleeping giant like Derby were then with a magnificent stadium and first class training facilities must have proved a strong attraction to our vacancy.
 
However, Brown would have done well to heed the advice he was given at the time - and perhaps to have listened to anything George Burley might have had to say about the situation at Derby - before he jumped into the hornets' nest in bare feet.
 
When Brown pronounced on his appointment that he would be making the decisions there was almost a pantomime chorus from supporters of 'Oh no you won't'. There, hovering in the background with his permagrin was the ubiquitous Murdo Mackay. His unqualified and unwanted interference in team matters had proved too much for even the calm, dignified and highly experienced Burley to tolerate in the end - so how much more difficult was it going to be for the rookie manager?
 
His worst hour had to be when he substituted the popular Paul Peschisolido and left the then hapless Stern John on the pitch and at least fifteen thousand fans - including me - sang 'You don't know what you're doing'. He must have been stunned - as Ross Fletcher on Radio Derby commented it was an unprecedented rebuff to a Derby manager. Brown's snap back at the fans afterwards didn't help his popularity with the supporters of a club which was fast coming to revolution pitch.
 
Phil Brown never recovered from that day really and it was then only a matter of weeks before his short reign was terminated.
 
He's possibly a very nice man, an excellent coach and he quite probably did know exactly what he was doing at that moment - but he was the wrong man in the wrong place at a desperately bad time.
 
After nearly a year out of work with his credibility rating at zero he took over at Hull City, another sleeping giant club.
 
His success at building a side there that qualified for the Premiership through the play-offs is nothing short of superb.
 
All Derby fans should really be pleased for him that he has turned his abject misery and humiliation into a triumph. It would be churlish to resent the man because he was appointed by Jeremy Keith and Co.
 
Phil Brown - from this Derby fan at least and I am sure others must share my view - congratulations on your success with Hull this season and all the best in the Premiership.

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Leeds United 1 - 2 Southampton - Player Ratings and Reports
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A Rough Guide To Leeds United
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