Cruelly
As it was there were three minutes and Nicklas Bendtner scored the winner for Arsenal to cruelly snatch that point away from Hull.
Everyone agreed after the game that if Hull showed the sort of spirit, fight and determination in the rest of the season that they showed in that game, they would have every chance of staying up. To play Arsenal with ten men for forty-five minutes, and hold them, is no mean achievement.
History
If the referee had produced a red card instead of a yellow one when he awarded Hull their penalty, Arsenal would have lost Sol Campbell and who knows what would have happened. He didn’t and the rest is history.
I know that ‘if’ is a very big word in football, but following that game Phil Brown has been sacked and that just seems a little unfair.
Relieved
Brown has been relieved of his duties at Hull and been put on ‘gardening leave.’ Assistant manager Brian Horton and Steve Parkin will take charge of the first-team until further notice, and presumably until a new man comes in and brings his own people with him.
After Saturday’s unlucky defeat by Arsenal, Hull are second from bottom of the Premier League, three points adrift of safety, with just nine games left. Chairman Adam Pearson says he hopes to appoint a new manager before Saturday’s game against Portsmouth.
In a statement, Pearson said,
“Retention of Premier League status is paramount and the board believes that a change in managerial direction is the correct option at this time. The club will keep supporters completely up-to-date in respect of any managerial appointment but, in the meantime, Brian Horton and Steve Parkin will prepare the team for our important game at Portsmouth.”
You have to agree that Premier League survival is crucial but what, exactly, does Pearson think a new manager, with no transfers available, is going to achieve in nine games? It is hardly recent news that Hull are struggling so it is unbelievable to me that either Pearson didn’t act sooner so as to give the new man a fighting chance, or wait until the end of the season and give Brown a chance to rescue the situation.
First
Fifty year old Brown took charge of Hull in December 2006 and led the club into the Premier League for the first time in their history in 2008.
They made a great start to life in the Premier League but a poor run of results in the second half of the season meant they did not guarantee their survival until the last day of the season. They hardly won a game after Christmas.
Tough
This season has continued in much the same way and has proved just as tough. The defeat by Arsenal means Hull are deep in relegation trouble after losing their last four games.
Brown has said,
“I am obviously very disappointed with the club’s decision and the fact that I will now not have the opportunity to secure Hull City’s status in the Premier League for a third consecutive season. Although I am extremely sad to be leaving Hull City, I am very proud of my achievements during my time as manager, especially having led the team into the top flight of football for the first time in the club’s 104-year history and ahead of schedule.”
The sacking could be about more than just results on the pitch as it comes just a few days after Brown was forced to apologise on behalf of Hull midfielders Jimmy Bullard and Nicky Barmby. The pair had a fight in public during a warm-down session on the Humber Bridge, with the incident seen by members of the local Women’s Institute.
Ridiculous
Added to that, captain George Boateng was sent off on Saturday for what were two ridiculous red card offences in the first half.
It could be that Pearson thinks Brown has lost control of the dressing room and that would be a different matter.
Having said that, the other ten players played their hearts out for the manager on Saturday so that would seem unlikely. If this decision is based entirely on football then I’m afraid I don’t understand the timing.
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