Football Food For Thought / Dan Fitch / 18 August 2009 /

Dan 'The Betting Man' Fitch looks at the ever-increasing unpopularity of the Hull City boss Phil Brown and ponders whether the orange-faced manager can keep his team up again.

They say that the media in this country like nothing better than to build up someone, only to knock them down again. If the celebrity in question is stupid enough, like Jordan or Kerry Katona, then this process can be repeated several times before anyone gets bored of it.

A recent recipitant of such treatment is the Hull City boss Phil Brown and the public have lapped it up. Early last season, Brown was hailed as a managerial star in the making as Hull made a mockery of the Premier League's hierarchy, with a series of unlikely victories.

Then came THAT team-talk. Having see his side ripped apart by Manchester City, Brown took the decision to conduct his half time pep talk on the pitch. The move was to prove to be the beginning of the end of Brown's positive media image.

Such an impudent move was the sort of thing that you could imagine managerial mavericks such as Brian Clough or Jose Mourinho doing. Unfortunately, Brown doesn't quite have the record of either of these legends and the press started sharpening their knives in anticipation of slicing up the increasingly cocksure boss.

They weren't short of material. Firstly there was Hull's form, which dipped like the head of a 100m sprinter, trying in vain to pip Usain Bolt to the finish line. Hull basically accumulated enough points to stay up before Christmas and then took an extended festive break until May.

Then there's his appearance. People basically distrust men with facial hair, especially if it's cultivated with as much care as Brown's perfectly sculptured goatee. He also sports a tan that suggests that if Brown was a chocolate orange, he'd eat himself.

The lowest point of Brown's season came after their final game against Manchester United. It was his David Brent moment, where he established himself as a first class berk. Having avoided relegation by virtue of all the other teams at the bottom of the league losing, Brown celebrated by bursting into song at the end of the game.

Clutching the microphone like a cruise ship crooner, Brown started singing one of the Hull faithful's chants. "Let me go home, let me go home, this is the best trip, I've ever been on".

It might not have escaped your attention that these lyrics don't actually make any sense. Why would you want to go home from the best trip you'd ever been on? This is because Brown was singing the wrong words and the first line should have been "Don't want to go home".

The media and the fans turned against Brown. At the start of the season I read a preview in which a fan of each Premier League club was asked amongst other questions, who their biggest hate figure would be this season. At least four named Brown. The Facebook group 'Phil Brown is a w**k*r' currently has 1847 members.

A lot of people are waiting for Brown to be sent crashing back down to earth this season, as Hull get relegated. They are the [2.08] second favourites to be relegated and are [5.4] to finish rock bottom.

Hull almost upset the odds though, by getting off to a great start with a draw away at Chelsea, until Didier Drogba attempted a cross in injury time, which fortuitously ended up in the back of the net.

Chelsea might have had about 30 shots on goal, but Hull also had their chances to win the game. On first impressions, the hard working Stephen Hunt looks to be a clever purchase, whilst Jozy Altidore has the physical attributes to become a success in the Premier League. If Hull are successful in their attempt to purchase Alvaro Negredo from Real Madrid, they may get the goals they need to stay up.

Hull face another tricky game on Wednesday, when they host a Spurs side celebrating an opening win against Liverpool. Hull are [4.4], with the draw [3.65] and Tottenham [2.0]. I think the visitors will be too strong and that Hull's first points will be picked up at the weekend, at home to Bolton.

Personally, I hope that Brown keeps Hull up. Yes, he clearly fancies himself as the new Mourinho, but at least he's a character, in an era when they are thin on the ground.

If Brown was a Big Brother contestant, he'd be one of the entertaining but annoying ones, that the public would vote out too soon. There's others who are far more deserving of eviction.

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