No Smooth Sailing Here
By: Matt |
4 Comments
Hull City in Turmoil
Well it’s never easy now, is it. The Tigers have endured a tumultous few weeks, with USA wunderkind being sent home and suspended over a Twitter flap, Phil Brown coming under immense pressure about his job security, auditors claiming we could go broke if relegated, and finally, chairman Paul Duffen leaving the club, to be replaced by his predecessor, Adam Pearson. Whew. On the pitch, things aren’t much better, as the Amber and Black lie in the relegation zone, and face a tough test on Sunday against a Stoke side that sits in 9th place in the table.
With only resurgent Portsmouth (although they were beaten today) further behind Hull, it will take a solid run of results to emerge from the basement. Doing so has become a complete necessity at this stage, since its been made clear this week that a drop to the second tier could mean financial armageddon for the club. Brownie will feel extra pressure come Sunday as many have speculated this could be his last chance at saving his job.
Can the Tigers do it? Minus a suspended Geovanni and a injured Jimmy Bullard it will be tough, but hopefully the KC roar can lead them to an almost must win.
Category: Team News
Dozy Jozy Misses Dour Draw
By: Matt | 1 Comment
Hull 0 Pompey 0
I won’t bore you with any descriptions on the match itself, it was absolutley abysmal.
More interesting, was the fact that Jozy Altidore turned up late to the KC before the match, and was then sent home (at least he didn’t have to watch it live). Rather foolishly, he then tweeted his apology soon after, thus revealing the previously undisclosed reason for him omission. He eventually deleted that post, but the damage had been done, and Senor Brown was not happy. Not happy to the tune of a fine of two weeks wages. Ouch.
Now looking in on Jozy’s time at Hull, one might say that it hasn’t been the best. A brilliant start, followed by less and less playing time, culminating on Saturday in being sent home and fined by the club, not to mention missing the match. Now what we need to remember is he is still a young lad, and this isn’t the worst thing in the world. Yes he made a poor decision, but footballers in the Prem have been up to much worse. The Brit media will get their knickers in a twist because they love any excuse to include Phil Brown in an article, but in the grand scheme of things, its no big deal. He didn’t drive drunk, didn’t cheat on his wife/girlfriend (ahem, Cashley), so lets all take a chill and let this blow over. He will get back on track, and this will all be forgotten soon enough.
Some info on the incident here. And here.
Category: Team NewsEPL 101: Torres (is greater than) Hull City
By: Matt | 4 Comments
Liverpool 6 Hull City 1
Well that was painful.
The instant I saw the team sheet I knew this was gonna be a long day. When you throw out Ibrahima Sonko and Liam Cooper (who? yeah exactly) as the center backs against FERNADNO TORRES, the best striker on the planet, you don’t stand a F’ing chance. And we didn’t. Not that I particularly blame Phil Brown, what else could he do?
If you didn’t see this match, go watch the highlights, because believe me, you will never, ever see a center back (Sonko) so utterly outclassed and befuddled by a striker. It was surreal to watch. Every one of the three superbly taken goals by Torres was at the direct expense of Sonko. The second and third were the exact same move, yet both times poor Ibrahima was left swiping at thin air as Torres glided past. Yikes.
Positives? Some. Ghilas was one of the few who looked like he belonged, zipping around the pitch with gusto, not afraid to hold the ball up (even though he’s like 5′4), take people on, and crack off a shot. Geovanni celebrated his new deal with an excellently taken goal, but it was a false dawn at 1-1, I remember thinking to myself after it went in ‘Damnit now we have to hold out for 70 more minutes.’ Which we didn’t. And lastly cheers to Paul McShane. Yes he is much maligned, for being, well, rubbish, but he sticks up for his teammates, and he doesn’t take sh*t from anyone, and that’s why I love him. An abysmal footballer but I really do like having him out there, and I think his teammates do as well.
So in conclusion, when looking at the calendar, this was never going to result in a win, so lets move on. Applause for El Nino and his outrageous ability, and lets aim for a better result in a weeks time.
Category: Team NewsJOZY ALTIDORE INTERVIEW – EXCLUSIVE
By: Matt | 8 Comments
JA Interview
So here you are folks, straight from the good people at Hull City AFC, who so graciously allow us here at the Offside prime access to their exclusive interviews….the first with American wunderkind Jozy Altidore. So lets put all the recent poor form behind us, forget the Carling Cup, and lets hear what the big man has to say about life with the Tigers.
Hull City AFC
CITY Magazine interview / / issue 49 September 2009
JOZY ALTIDORE
A Star in Stripes
The barbecue summer that never was is almost at an end. With that in mind, there is a touch of irony about the sight of Jozy Altidore easing himself onto a wooden bench at Hull City’s training ground.
Altidore is used to warm weather. He was raised in Florida, America’s sunshine state. The temperature rarely dips below 30 degrees. Even so, he’s pleasantly surprised by the clear blue skies over Cottingham.
“Is it this hot all the time?” he asks as he shields his eyes from the late August sun.
“They told me England is a beautiful country but they said the weather wouldn’t be that great. Who were they kidding?”
Ten minutes later and Altidore is reaching for his jacket. It has clouded over. A cold breeze is blowing the leaves off the nearby trees and there are spits and spots of rain in the air. Welcome to England. Welcome to Hull. »
Fortunately, the weather is the last thing on Altidore’s mind. The strapping striker is determined to make a big impact in the Barclays Premier League. In terms of City’s search for a new goalscorer, he is the one that didn’t get away. The Tigers believe they could have netted a prize catch. He may ‘only’ be 19 and he may lack Barclays Premier League experience but Altidore has scored goals wherever he’s played, New York, Spain – the list goes on.
During the summer, he was a resounding success in South Africa when America stunned everyone – and not least Italy and Spain – by reaching the final of the Confederations Cup where they gave a full-strength Brazil side a run for their money. All this might surprise some people in England. After all, over here the words football and America hardly roll off the tongue. In fact, when they do they conjure names like the Miami Dolphins and the Washington Redskins.
However, soccer is making rapid strides on the other side of the Atlantic and it’s exciting young players like Altidore who are putting America on the world map.
His face has been used to spearhead several promotional campaigns. He’s one of America’s most popular players. His list of friends includes some giants of American showbiz. For all that, though, he’s modest, quietly spoken and well mannered.
As he talks, his rich drawl-like accent means you almost expect him to be wearing a baseball cap back-to-front while clutching a basketball or pulling on a grid-iron helmet. However, soccer runs deep through his blood.
“I played a little bit of basketball growing up,” he explains, “but it’s always been soccer for me. My family is from the islands, the Caribbean… Haiti, the Dominican Republic. In those countries, soccer is the number one. In the Dominican Republic, they play a bit of baseball but it’s mainly soccer. My dad played when I was growing up so for me, soccer was a pretty easy decision.”His parents – Altidore is one of four children – left the Caribbean before he was born. He was brought up in the tough suburb of Livingston, New Jersey, before another move, this time to the small town of Boca Raton in Florida. At school, he admits most of his friends dreamed of becoming the next baseball or basketball star. Altidore, though, only had one ambition – and one sport – on his mind.
“There’s a lot of kids play soccer in the States. It’s very popular when you are young. I played basketball when I was 14. I was pretty good but my big interest was soccer. In New Jersey, you are talking about an urban area and some of those areas are really tough, and I mean tough. Soccer is played a bit but it’s mainly basketball and baseball.
“There again, we’ve had some good soccer players come out of New Jersey – guys like Claudio Reyna, Tim Howard and Michael Bradley. Kids play a mix of sports but me? I guess I was never happier than when I was on a soccer pitch.”
Altidore’s big break came in the summer of 2006 when he was snapped up by Major League side New York Red Bulls who were then known as the ‘Metro Stars’. He scored his first goal for them at the age of 16 in a 3-1 cup win against DC United.
It was the start of a long-list of firsts. The goals – and the adulation from the fans – started to flow. He became the youngest ever player to score in the end-of-season play-offs. Throw in the fact that he scored on his first appearance for his country and then became the youngest player to score a hat-trick for America in a World Cup qualifier and it’s easy to see why European-based clubs were soon following his progress. In June 2008, Spanish side Villarreal paid a reported ten million dollars to tempt him across the Atlantic. Sure enough, Altidore became the first American player to score in La Liga after a goal against Atletico Bilbao.
Now he’s in Hull, those firsts have continued. Just about his first touch in the Barclays Premier League led to Hull’s winning goal against Bolton. Then, three days later, he marked his first start for the Tigers by netting his first goal in England… this time in a Carling Cup win against Southend United at the KC Stadium. Altidore is not the first American-born player to represent the Tigers but he is the first to arrive at the club via New York and Spain. He takes up his career story to date.
“Signing for Red Bulls was definitely my big break. I was only 16 but I was very fortunate in that our manager believed in me so I got a lot of game time. I guess things went well and I loved playing in the Major League but I’d always wanted to play in Europe – in one of the real big leagues.
“I thought it would take time but I got the move to Spain pretty quickly, after just two or three years. It meant leaving a lot behind but you’ve got to be prepared to make sacrifices. Anyway, it was a good decision. I was at a good team (Villarreal) in a good league and with better players. Ten million dollars – or whatever they paid for me – was a lot of money but it was good for me to get out there.”
On the pitch, Altidore’s many nicknames include ‘The Beast’ – a clear indication of his physical, no-nonsense approach. Off it, he’s cool, calm and collected. He talks very quietly, almost in a whisper.
However, a suggestion that he didn’t quite make the grade in Spain brings an abrasive response. » The facts are that after just a few games for Villarreal, he was loaned out to Second Division side Xerez. There, a toe-nail injury restricted his appearances. At the end of the season, he returned to Villarreal. Some say his future was in doubt until the Tigers came-a-calling.
“I wouldn’t say it didn’t work out for me (at Villarreal). I was 18 when I went to Spain. There were a lot of big stars and I was expected to be the top scorer at the club.
“There were some problems behind the scenes but I’d say it went well for me. I learned a hell of a lot and grew up pretty quickly. It was my introduction to European football, all part of the plan. The loan move? Sure, that didn’t go as well but that was because of a few injuries.”
City’s search for a new striker has, of course, been well documented. Their extensive scouting system took in Altidore and Phil Brown made his move ahead of several rival clubs.
“I didn’t know Hull were watching me,” says Altidore. “I knew about Hull as a club. I’d watched their games on TV last season and they racked up some pretty impressive results. When they came in for me, I guess it was good timing. I was in need of playing and they were in need of players so it suited us both.”
Altidore was quickly introduced to the local media at the KC Stadium but problems with red tape held up his clearance – and his debut. Before he could pull on a black and amber shirt, he jetted back to America for a World Cup qualifier.
That led to more delays. He was detained in America amid a swine flu scare. Then, there were further problems with his international clearance. To add to his obvious annoyance, other American players – including Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard – were cleared for Barclays Premier League action.
Altidore admits: “I’d spoken to Clint and Tim about playing in England and they said – go for it.
“I was really excited. All I wanted to do was play for Hull but because of the delays, I was back home in a hotel kicking just about anything I could. It was very frustrating. I felt like I was letting people down. But the people at Hull worked really hard to sort things out and it was great when I finally got the OK to come over.”
Altidore flew into England on the Friday morning before the Bolton game, took a helicopter ride to Hull and then lined up on the subs’ bench against ‘The Trotters’ – in a pair of borrowed boots. It wasn’t how he’d planned his arrival. He – and City – needn’t have worried. Soon after coming on, his clever flick set up the match-winning goal for fellow new signing Kamel Ghilas.
“It took some getting here but my first game couldn’t have gone much better. The fans – everyone – seemed to go out of their way to make me comfortable. It was great to start with a win, especially at home. The (KC) stadium is a glorious place. I love it and we have to make it our fortress. Whoever comes there needs to know it’s going to be tough.”
Altidore is aware of the heavy weight of expectation on his still young shoulders. He’s the player that City fans are hoping and praying will prove to be that elusive 15-goal-a-season man.
“I’m not bothered by that,” he adds. “People are going to say what they want and there’s nothing you can do about it. You’ve just got to play it. You’ve got to try and score as many goals as you can but all I can do is go out and do my best. If my best isn’t good enough, well all I can do is try.”It seems nothing worries Altidore. He is a laid-back character although he has plenty of things to focus on. Soon after the interview, he was due to fly back to America for the next stage of their World Cup qualifying campaign. Then, of course, there are a series of mouth-watering clashes in the Barclays Premier League…”the best in the world,” he says with genuine excitement and anticipation.
“It’s great with all the big games, stuff like that. You want to test yourself against the best players. That’s what it’s all about. I think Hull will do well. I don’t see why not. The manager has made some good signings and I’m sure we can surprise people.
“I’ve seen a few of the players on TV. The manager is a good man. He has vision for the team. Whatever he puts up on the board, we’ve got to make sure we give it our best.”
Apart from leading the Tigers’ quest for precious Barclays Premier League points, Altidore looks certain to play a major part in America’s bid to secure a place in next year’s World Cup finals in South Africa. The Confederations Cup was seen by many as a dress rehearsal for the big event and America’s performances – Altidore scored in a 2-0 win against Spain – suggests they could be a force in the tournament proper.
“South Africa was a wonderful experience. Getting so far – we thought we could do it but we lost to Brazil in the final. That wasn’t easy to swallow. It’s still not easy to swallow but it’s all about the next test.
“We want to get to those finals. Can you imagine what it would do for the game back home? Soccer is definitely getting bigger – and stronger. A lot of kids play. It’s growing and growing and who knows where we’ll be in 10 or 20 years’ time.”Altidore is more than happy to promote the game. He’s appeared in advertising campaigns for some of the world’s top companies, including Adidas and ESPN.
“It’s all to raise the profile of soccer and encourage the young players. Over here, you probably don’t know about players like Charles Rankin but just watch him. He’s a great talent and one for the future. You might not know the name now but look again in two or three years. Hopefully, guys like him will have an easier path than us but overall, I’m sure the future for soccer in America is really positive.”
There is little doubt David Beckham’s move to LA Galaxy has also lifted the profile of the sport even further.
“I was a little bit nervous about the whole Beckham thing but in terms of putting people in seats then it’s worked. But to put it all on one man and say ‘here you go’ is a little unfair. People are working hard, though. Major League Soccer is growing and some of the top sides would do pretty well in Europe.
“In fact, it would be great to see American clubs play in Europe on a regular basis and test where we are at. There might be problems matching the seasons up but a tournament with everyone involved – yeah, that would be great.”
When it comes to club football, Altidore is totally committed to the Tigers. He’s joined on a season-long loan although City have an option to buy him on a longer-term basis…if they like Altidore and if Altidore likes Hull. Already, the signs are promising.
“Hull? Yeah, I’ve been around. It’s a decent, hard working type of place and the people deserve a good team. I guess it’s an easy going type of city – a bit different to New York but hey, that’s no bad thing.
“I just want to play soccer, do well this season and who knows what will happen after. I’m only looking at the next game. I haven’t set targets. I just want to contribute something positive. If we win, it doesn’t matter about individual performances. The goal is to win and get some points.”Altidore hopes his family will fly to England to watch him in action. There’s also a chance a few well-known faces could follow his progress. His long-list of friends includes Wyclef Jean.
“I know a couple of famous people. It kind of comes with the territory. Wyclef Jean is a big friend of football and I’m sure he’ll catch some of our games.”In the meantime, the young striker is determined to settle into his new surroundings.
“Soccer is pretty much my life. I like to relax away from the club and get away from the game anyway I can. I guess I won’t be going down the beach like I used to back home in Florida. In fact, is there a beach here? Whatever… Hull’s good enough for me and I’m not here to sit on some stretch of sand.
“Everything is going to be different to back home and to Spain, the food – everything. The food here is great. There are some nice places to eat but tell me, what do you call it – pattie and chips – what’s that? I guess I’ll have to try some!”
Article reproduced from October issue of CITY Magazine – the official monthly publication of Hull City AFC. To subscribe visit www.tigerleisure.com
Category: Team NewsPhil Brown Interview – City Magazine
By: Matt | 1 Comment
Phil Brown Interview
Check it out folks, with the international break this weekend, lets check out an interview with Tigers manager Phil Brown, from the official mag of Hull City, City Magazine.
Just note this interview took place before the season.
BACK IN THE HOT SEAT
It’s Monday morning and Phil Brown’s first day back at ‘the office’ following his summer holiday…
Twenty four hours earlier, he’d been relaxing on a beach in Portugal. As he drives into Hull City’s training complex, then for one brief moment he probably imagines he is back on that Mediterranean shore. Two-thirds of the playing area has been dug up. There are huge mounds of sandy soil everywhere. It’s not quite the Algarve. The scene more resembles a lunar landscape, or the beach at Withernsea when the tide is out!
Brown isn’t about to unpack a deck-chair and his trusty old bucket and spade. With a new Barclays Premier League season looming ever larger on the horizon, there’s work to be done.
The atmosphere at the training ground is relaxed, as you’d expect at the end of June. All City’s football management staff are there – Assistant Brian Horton, First-Team Coach Steve Parkin, Chief Scout Bob Shaw and Head of Youth Billy Russell. Plans for the new season – and new signings – are top of the agenda. Yet, in some ways, it seems only yesterday that City were entertaining champions Manchester United at the KC Stadium with their future as a top-flight club hanging by a thread – and a very fine thread at that. Brown steered City to safety. Few would deny him his hard-earned break in the sun.
“The holiday? Yeah, it was very nice, thanks very much, but I don’t think I’ve had a full chance to recover to tell you the truth,” he admits.
“The rigours of the ten-and-a-half months, starting with having qualified for the Barclays Premier League by winning at Wembley, it doesn’t half take it out of you, there’s no doubt about it. You listen to some of these experienced managers – the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson, Sam Allardyce and Steve Bruce and they say take a complete and utter month off.
“Now, you don’t know whether they are telling you that to get ahead of you in the transfer market or whether it’s sound advice. As far as I’m concerned it’s sound advice. I had two weeks in Portugal with my wife and daughter, Sophie. It normally takes me three or four days to settle down and relax but this time it was the probably the second Tuesday – eight or ten days – before I really wound down. »
“Once I did relax, I had four or five nice days with meals beside the pool, meals out with the missus – that type of thing. I did manage to switch off and now, I’ve only been back a day and there’s a lot of work to be done – a hell of a lot of work – but I’m looking forward to it.”
It’s not just Brown’s long-suffering wife who would tell you the man eats, lives and breathes football. His appetite and enthusiasm for the game – and for Hull City in particular – is insatiable. As you’d expect from someone who has just been on holiday, he looks relaxed and, yes, tanned. There are certainly a few less frown lines on his forehead than in the closing weeks of the season.
As the interview gets underway, he can’t settle. He’s fidgeting with a pen, his mobile phone and finally a paper clip. He’s a bundle of energy. It’s a tell-tale sign he can’t wait to start work.
“I wouldn’t say the batteries are fully re-charged but they’ll start picking up when you start bringing new players in and you see the whites of their eyes and how ambitious and how driven they are.
“Then, you see your staff – with the nice tans – fully re-charged. Yeah, you look forward to getting your teeth stuck into it all again.”
Brown always looks smart. He’s wearing a black suit and open-necked pink shirt.
He’s sitting in his office, the office where he did much of his planning for last season. There is a mountain of paperwork on his desk but you can tell it’s the off-season as most of the spare space is taken up by a couple of golf bags. The clubs inside will have to wait to see any action.
Everyone wants to see him. Just as he settles down in a black-leather chair, there’s a knock on his door. It’s his PA. Apparently, his new car has just arrived and the staff from the garage are hanging around to show him how the ‘all-singing, all-dancing’ on-board computer works.
“Tell them I’ll be out in a few minutes,” he says. “Now, where were we?”
The conversation drifts from holidays and back to last season. Twelve months ago, City’s chances of staying in the Barclays Premier League were rated as somewhere between nil and non-existent. Many people thought Brown would be looking for a new job long before Christmas. He – and his players – proved the cynics wrong.
“Personally, staying up meant an awful lot,” says Brown, his hands clasped tightly behind his head.
“It was by far and away my greatest achievement in football. Playing at Wembley two or three times – and having been back there as a coach and manager on a number of occasions and then winning promotion there against Bristol City – were all levels of achievement, for sure.
“But to pit your wits against some of these great managers and great teams that have been in the Barclays Premier League since its inception was something else. They have a massive headstart on us but to get in among them – to survive – no, not just survive – but to compete, then I was proud of the account we gave of ourselves.”
In the end, survival came down to one single point. While City lived to fight for another season, Newcastle, Middlesbrough and West Brom weren’t as fortunate. They will be playing in the Championship next season. Brown rightly takes enormous satisfaction from the fact he is still a top-flight manager.
“The profile of the football club was raised and people were impressed with the way we addressed the Barclays Premier League from the very start. Then, of course, they were massively interested in our fight towards the end of the season, culminating with three big teams getting relegated.
“West Brom have been christened a ‘yo-yo’ team and rightly so having gone up and down three times in the last six years. The two north east teams – well, obviously I feel for them because I’m from that neck of the woods. But their relegation was at the expense of our survival which was a fantastic achievement.
“You can cast your mind back to the individual games and weekends. There are still very vivid and very fond memories. But the be-all and end all is that we stayed up. That’s what matters.”
Brown is not the type of person to rest on his laurels. His next task is to make sure City stay in the top flight for at least another 12 months. Happily, he’s ready to tackle the new season – and whatever it throws at him – head-on.
The news that he’s back in this country has obviously started to spread. A couple of journalists are waiting outside to talk to him. His mobile never stops ringing.
He ignores the first couple of calls. He answers the third. It’s just as well as the person on the other end of the line is chairman Paul Duffen. The pair didn’t know each other when Duffen took control of the club and Brown was hoping to get a chance to become manager. That was two years ago. Now, they’ve forged a strong and successful partnership. It’s doubtful whether there’s a better manager-chairman relationship in the entire Barclays Premier League.
That strength – and mutual respect- shone through in the final few weeks of last season and undoubtedly helped secure another season of Barclays Premier League football. Now, they are working together to build for the future. It is a ‘catch-up’ call and Brown is soon back in interview mode. He admits a fair number of calls are from agents pushing their particular player. Others are from long-time friends who are already wishing him all the best ahead of the new campaign. And, he believes City will be well prepared for their second season of top-flight football.
“When the fixture list came out, you look at it and you go: ‘I’ve been there now, I’ve seen it and I’ve done it’. Whether you’ve won those games, lost those games or drawn those games, you’ve got experience of it at this level. I can’t emphasise to people how important that is.
“Last season, we had no idea what was going to be coming out of the opposition dressing room. Now, we have an idea. We know what grounds feel like, what they look like and what they smell like. We know what games look like, what they taste like – the whole Barclays Premier League campaign, we’ve now got experience as a Hull City team.
“To be 104 years out of it – but one year in it – then it’s amazing. It’s almost a comfortable feeling now that we know.”
Brown – and City – might be another year older and another year wiser. However, the very first game (at Chelsea) highlights the size of the task they face.
“Chelsea,” reiterates Brown. “This is what I mean. We know what it looks like, we know what it feels like. We know we gave a good account of ourselves at Chelsea last season when we drew 0-0. Will it be different?
“Well, they’ve got a new coach, they’ll probably have a whole new team and if not then 75 per cent will be a new team, coupled with the players already there. They are all world class, international players but we know what it feels like and that’s the main thing. Last season, we were going into the unknown so to speak. Now we’ve got that experience, then it will stand us in better stead.”
It might be a year down the line since all the uncertainty of last summer but Brown knows the same cynics are expressing exactly the same views about City’s prospects again.
City supporters would argue the experience gleaned from last term should at least put their club ahead of the three promoted sides, Wolves, Birmingham and Burnley. Not that Brown sees it in such clear-cut terms. He believes the three promoted clubs could make an impact… like City and Stoke did last season. However, he’s more concerned with ensuring City avoid another relegation battle.
“This time last year, people were claiming we wouldn’t win a game. Now, they are saying the same about Burnley. Who knows how things will work out? The fact we know what to expect means that we should be doing better than what we did last season. That is the challenge.
“It’s not about doing better than Wolves, better than Birmingham or better than Burnley. It’s about doing better than what we did (last season). I’m sure everyone will be making reference to the start we made last year and how we were doing after ten games.
“If we can make the same kind of start again then fantastic, well done. If we don’t, then we’ll meet that challenge. But at least, we’ll have a reference point and that is the main factor. We have got something that we can actually tangibly feel.”
Brown has freely admitted that City’s explosive start last term surprised everyone and not just Arsenal who were beaten 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium on one particularly memorable Saturday evening in September. The Tigers also defeated, Fulham, Spurs, Newcastle, West Ham and West Brom. In October, they were third in the table. Surely, though, it is expecting too much to think City will catch sides unaware again.
“There is no reason why you can’t but it’s not just about the first nine or ten weeks. It’s about the Barclays Premier League in its entirety, as we found out last season. Now, as I said, we have got some sort of feel for it. The individual teams will be as prepared and well-drilled as us.
“Will we hit the ground running? That is our intention. We’ll go away to Italy – and to Beijing – and have a pre-season that will bring the level of fitness that will make us very competitive.
“You look at the fixtures and we can all make reference to the games that we should win, that we can win, that we could win, that we could get a point from. It’s that reference point that is the key.”
Brown does not lack confidence. He’s a proud man. He stands up for what he believes in. Some would say he can be pushy, brash, even arrogant at times. Those people don’t really know him. He cares for his staff, his players and his club. If City show the same passion and enthusiasm as their manager next season on the pitch, they won’t go far wrong.
There again, Brown is the most successful manager in City’s history. Okay, others before him boast a better win ratio. Others before him have won promotion. Others – like Warren Joyce – will forever be remembered for their Herculean efforts against all the odds. No-one, though, ever took City into the top flight – and kept them there.
As last season unfolded – and the battle for survival intensified – Brown kicked every ball and made every tackle. The pressure on his shoulders was immense. Even when the criticism was at its worst – and, at times, very personal – he never wavered. He never lost hope and that belief did get through to his players. So, how did he cope in the closing weeks of the campaign?
“I’ve been getting a lot of nice letters from people all around the world, let alone the city of Hull. They all want to know how I coped. It was quite simple. I have always coped with pressure by looking at the players and if the players look good, feel good and don’t feel under pressure, then it takes it (the pressure) away from me. I know I’ve done my job.
“The last two games were very important and the fact we got the one point (at Bolton) was particularly important. The decision to go away to the Lakes before that Bolton game was a key. We really developed a togetherness and a camaraderie. We didn’t train. We turned our mobiles off and we got into each others psyche’, as it were.
“We got the point. We should have had three, no doubt about it, but that was the Barclays Premier League for you.”
A wry smile lights up Brown’s face as he recalls that Craig Fagan equaliser at the Reebok Stadium. Without that goal, Brown would now be planning for a season of Championship football. That one goal – that one point – was the difference between success and failure.
Brown adds: “I remember being asked at various stages last season – would you take 17th place now? Come the last game of the season the answer was definitely yes.
“At the start of the season, then the answer was » probably yes. But looking back at the season as a whole, then the answer is probably somewhere between yes and no. But we know it was all about being in the Barclays Premier League for a second year running and when it was in our own hands then that was the most pleasing factor for me.
“I couldn’t sit back and relax – by any stretch of the imagination – but the knowledge that our fate was in our hands was something I will be striving to maintain throughout my career.”
No-one will forget the celebrations after that final game against Manchester United or the sight – and sound – of Brown belting out a song or two at an emotionally-charged KC Stadium. However, there were also plenty of disappointments, particularly in the second half of the season when City slipped down the table in alarming style.
Brown always remained upbeat and defiant but there were times when he seemed powerless to halt the slump. Must win games came – and went – without reward. Although he always thought City would stay up, he admits there were times that immense self-belief was tested to the limit, not least after a 3-1 defeat at Middlesbrough in the closing weeks of the campaign.
“There were a couple of low points and Middlesbrough away was definitely one of them. There were a few reasons for that – the manner in which we conceded the first goal, the manner in which we handed the impetus to them and the 33,000-odds fans who turned out to back them and the manner of the third goal – and who scored that third goal in particular.”
That goal was scored by Marlon King. The striker had played such a key role in City’s impressive first half of the campaign but then left the club amid reports of a bust-up with his manager.
“I knew he (King) had a point to prove. I didn’t think he proved that point that day, albeit he got the goal and goal-scorers will tell you he proved his point. I always like players with a point to prove. How you get to that stage, or whether he’s for or against you, is another matter.
“It wasn’t that it hurt because it was Marlon King, it was more the manner in which it came around. Because of that result – and because of our performance – we’d dragged ourselves into a last two or three game dogfight.”
There were other controversial moments in the season not least Brown’s decision to berate his players on the pitch following a nightmare first half display at Manchester City. Don’t expect him to regret that, though.
“I absolutely stand by what I did,” says Brown. “It was the key to our season. If I’d lost the dressing room after that game, then I’d only myself to blame. But I knew the strength of character in our dressing room.
“I speak to everyone on a regular basis but I speak to the senior pro’s probably more regularly and if I’d had any kind of sniff that I’d lost the dressing room, then I’d have had to do something about it.
“The way we performed in the first half was unacceptable. The way I performed at half time certainly wasn’t unacceptable. It was totally acceptable and I think the players responded to that.”
The very public dressing down was certainly a brave move by Brown. Other events were out of his direct control like the injury to Jimmy Bullard. The club’s record buy was injured after less than 20 minutes of his debut at West Ham.
There’s no hint of a smile on Brown’s face as he recalls: “I remember we stayed down in London at ‘The Grove’ after the West Ham game. It was a Wednesday night.
“Initially, the extent of the injury was very much unknown. Then, there was a two week period where it was a case of is it (serious) or isn’t it? Having finally decided it was a cruciate ligament – albeit a different one to his previous injury – then to lose £5m-worth of player – a record transfer fee – then it’s hard to take.
“Then, there’s the realisation that you can only deal with what is on your desk on a Monday morning. The realisation was Jimmy was going to be out for six months so you get on with it.”
Happily, Bullard is on course to return in September. Whether he will still be the club’s record buy by then is another matter. Since the final ball of last season, Brown seems to have been linked with every player worth a mention in the football’s ‘Who’s Who.’
While he was away on holiday, it was Fraizer Campbell and Marc-Antoine Fortune. On the day of the interview with CITY Magazine, there is intense speculation linking City with Michael Owen. Next week, it will be someone else. But, does the fact City are a second year Barclays Premier League side make it any easier attracting big-name signings?
“Ask me in a few weeks,” quips Brown. “Seriously, I wouldn’t say it gets any easier.
“We have a history now in the Barclays Premier League. We’ve been seen on a world-wide stage. Players will now have an opinion on Hull City, on Phil Brown. They will know Steve Parkin, Brian Horton, the chairman.
“With that in mind, it can become easier, because they might like what they see. There again, it can become harder because they might not like what they see. The bottom line is we are trying to bring in a new batch of players who share the common dream, the common vision.
“If we get those players, then with what’s already in the building, we’ll be a very competitive side. We know we need to strengthen, freshen things up. Whenever you bring in a new player, it brightens everyone up. Everyone gets more competitive. The players already here want to prove to the new players how good they are. The new players want to show how good they are.
“I’m looking forward to the new players. I know the players I’m looking for. I know the areas we need to strengthen and hopefully the shopping list will be successful.”
Brown will be central to any attempts to sign players. Listen to some people – and not all of them work in the media – and you could be lured into thinking there were times when the manager over-stepped the mark last season like at Manchester City or in his outspoken comments after the infamous ‘Spitgate’ incident at Arsenal. But does Brown feel he got a fair press?
“A lot of people have asked me that question. It suggests I didn’t get a fair hearing. The banter, for want of a better word, was excellent. Yes, I knew I was upsetting a few people in the media. Yes, they were deliberately going out to try and upset me. But that’s the cut and thrust of any conversation I get involved in, let alone talking to the media.
“But I enjoyed it and hopefully I’ll enjoy it next season as well. I’m certainly not going to shy away from it. I suppose the experiences of last season then yes, sometimes it teaches you to slow down before you answer a question. It teaches you not to jump in two-footed.
“There were probably instances where I saw some of the biggest and best managers in the Barclays Premier League and how they have reacted to particular things or particular situations. Could I have handled things differently? I’m proud. I’m passionate. I’ll stand up for what I think is right. I’ll defend my team, my players, my club. I might not always get it right but I’m not going to change. I will always try to be pro-active.”
Brown admits he learned some harsh lessons in the top-flight last term – and not just when it comes to dealing with the press. Ask him if there’s one thing in particular he would change and he replies: “Yeah… grey hair. You can’t change it, unless you dye it and I won’t be doing that!
“Listen, there were mistakes, all the way along. I’m not too proud to admit I made mistakes, for sure. Sir Alex Ferguson bases his whole managerial career on getting seven out of ten right. That suggests he gets three out of ten wrong. If he can make mistakes then so can the rest of us!”
Brown recently celebrated his 50th birthday. It goes without saying that he hopes to celebrate his 51st as a Barclays Premier League manager.
“I’m not setting targets but the whole deal when I took this job was to improve every game, every day and every season. I think we have. How far we can take it is a massive question and one that I can’t answer at this moment in time. I just want to keep improving, to keep building.
“What will I be happy with next season? If I say anything above 17th then that can mean anything from 16th to first. That’s all I’ll say.”
Brown is happy to leave predictions to others. He knows many pundits will write City off but nothing will give him more pleasure than proving all over again that the Tigers deserve to be a Barclays Premier League club.
Category: Team NewsAltidore Get His First Goal for the Tigers
By: Matt | 8 Comments
Hull 3 Southend 1
American wunderkind Jozy Altidore smashed home Hull City’s second goal off of a free kick, as the Tigers raced to a 2-1 lead at halftime in their Carling Cup clash at home to Southend.
Geovanni netted his first of the season to make it 3-1 to the hosts, which is how it finished, advancing them to the next round of the league cup.
I’ll post video as soon as its up.
Category: Team NewsNew Signings Help Sink Bolton
By: Matt | 3 Comments
Hull 1 Bolton 0
What a difference three days makes. After being taken apart by Spurs midweek, Hull looked to rebound against a team many feel may be battling along with the Tigers against relegation come May. Although Bolton usually do enough to ensure safety, if not better, their slow decline made this an absolute must win for Phil Brown’s men. It was two new faces which clinched it.
Jozy Altidore’s signing was met with much fanfare, at least on this website and in America, and it was he who acrobatically put through a less heralded pick up in Kamel Ghilas, who lashed home emphatically. Check it out here. Scouts at the KC Stadium were surely grinning ear to ear as they watched a man who many said ‘Who?’, when Hull picked him up, clinch the winner only three matches into his Tigers career.
With the result against Spurs now long forgotten, the Tigers will look to gather momentum from this result, and take it into another massive clash with Wolves in a weeks time. Although it may be too early to talk about six pointers, it will be at the back of many peoples minds as the two clubs look to create distance between themselves and the bottom of the table.
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Category: Team NewsWeekend Review
By: Matt | Add Comments
Whirlwind Weekend
It was a busy one for the Tigers, as a flurry of late signings preceded their opening match away to Chelsea. First to the action on the pitch.
Chelsea 2 Hull City 1
In a thrilling but ultimately dissapointing season opener, the Tigers fell to Chelsea, 2-1, with Didier Drogba grabbing a brace. New signing Stephen Hunt fired home a rebound off a Boateng shot to give the Tigers the lead, with Stamford Bridge stunned into silence. A horrendous call by the referee gave Chelsea a free kick not long after, which Drogba dispatched into the bottom corner with aplomb. Now the free kick itself was magnificent, the call the polar opposite. How the challenge by Olofinjana could ever be construed as a foul is beyond me. It is bitterly dissapointing for Tigers fans, as a lot of hard work was undone by a shocking decision. The winner for the Blues didn’t hurt much less either, with Drogba’s attempted cross floating over Myhill and agonizingly nestling into the side netting, sending the Bridge into raptures. Gutted. Match highlights can be seen as usual on 101GreatGoals.
New Signings
Stephen Hunt – the high energy Irish winger had an instant impact for the Tigers, guiding home the opening goal of the 2009-10 season. At times can look like a chicken with his head cut off, but the Tiger supporters should take to him with us unending effort and industry.
Kamel Ghilas – little is known about the Algerian striker, but the City scouts assure he will be bring the goals. I certainly hope so, as its something we badly lacked in the latter half of last season. If the below video is anything to go by, I think we will see some special things from the young man.
Alvaro Negredo (talks ongoing) – this may be another case of Hull attempting to punch above their weight, as the 12mil rated Madrid striker is also coveted by a number to top continental clubs. Would be a touch of pure class if he did come to the KC, but doesn’t seem overly likely.
Check it Out – Kamel Ghilas
Category: Team NewsFinally Some Action – Tigers Nab Altidore
By: Matt | 45 Comments
Thank Heavens, Finally a Striker
The lesson learned here is that lamenting over an utter dearth of action in the transfer market on the Offside will eventually result in a tremendous signing. As my regular readers will know, Hull do in fact read this blog, since they so far are the only EPL team to allow us use of their crest, and they are also nice enough provide me with exclusive content to post from their City magazine. So to my colleagues at the KC: high five for a super loan pickup.
Now first things first in regards to Altidore. He won’t be the golden child sent by Villareal to score 25 goals and lead us into the Europa League spots. Remember, he is technically unproven in top flight European football, so this will be a stern test. I fully expect him to flourish however. Now I can be accused of bias, as I am a New Yorker, and do support RBNY, so have been following young Jozy for a while now, but I do really feel he can succeed at this level. He has the physical prowess to battle with center backs like the Vidic’s and Ivanovic’s of the league, plus an instinct in front of goal that will serve him well in the fast paced premiership. Now while his service may well be limited at times, I expect him to certainly be a handful for defenses, and chip in with a goal or two every few matches.
So I think that Phil Brown and the Tigers will be realistic in their expectations of Jozy, and the supporters should be as well. It should take some time to adjust, but with all the physical tools required to succeed, and at only 19 years of age, this could prove one of our more astute signings (albeit loan) in a while. Stay tuned for Chelsea on the 15th (wink wink).
PS – Since everyone is in on the act, why not follow us on Twitter. Check us out at http://twitter.com/HullCityOffside
Enjoy Some Highlights of Senor Altidore
Category: Team NewsSummer Update – Transfer (Lack of) News
By: Matt | 5 Comments
Not Looking Good
Please forgive me for not being sufficiently positive about Summer 2009. In fact, its been downright worrying. The Tigers have done just about zero to strengthen their squad, which at the end of May was deemed an absolute must if they were to survive round two of their Premiership adventure.
I can’t decide whats worse at this stage, the fact that no one wants to come to Hull (as so eloquently put by Mr. Darren Bent in 140 characters or less), or the fact that the players who don’t want to come are rubbish in the first place. Daryl Murphy? Bobby Zamora? Are these really the men who will keep us in the league come May? No. All respect to them, but a resounding no.
So why doesn’t anyone want to come to Hull? I’m not really sure. Maybe its the location, perhaps images of Phil giving the lads a dressing down at Man City lingers, or maybe players already view Hull as on the way down. It’s hard to say what it is.
Another viewpoint is, perhaps players DO want to come to Hull, or at least would want to, but we haven’t been going after them? In my last post I brought up the fact that Man City now have about 27 strikers on their books, and chances are if you weren’t signed in the last two weeks, you aren’t going to be playing this season. Since that post, Ched Evans? Gone (Sheffield). Bojinov? Gone (Parma). Caicedo? Gone (Lisbon). We couldn’t have grabbed one of them on loan? We still can’t grab Benjani (who we were linked with at one stage, in fairness)? It is beyond understanding as to why we are going after players like Murphy and Zamora when A. They will not keep us up. B. They aren’t better than what we have already. C. There are better players available!
Even someone like Oba Martins, who was shipped off to Wolfsburg, would have gotten 9-12 goals for the Tigers this season, guaranteed. Yes maybe his wages were a bit high, but surely to remain in the Premiership he would have taken a pay cut. I’ll cease ranting at this stage, but as you can see, things aren’t looking great for the Tigers. Hopefully they’ll turn around in the next few weeks before we meet Chelsea.
Highlights of the Tigers 3-0 loss to Spurs in Beijing.
Category: Team News
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