Phil Brown’s stint at Hull City was prosperous despite him being sacked before the Tigers were relegated from the Premiership after two seasons. They were punching way above their weight (they were playing in what is now League 2 in 2003-04 and have spent much of their history plying their trade in the bottom two leagues), but it was Brown who hoisted them out of the drop zone in the Championship to steer them to promotion to the promised land of the Premier League the following season, a position where they had never been before. They completed it in 17th place, although there was however, by the end of his tenure, indications that he had lost the respect and backing of his players – a crucial ingredient if one is to be successful – so the parting of ways was probably the best outcome for both party’s as the negative atmosphere and loss of command would have undoubtedly affected his team.
If only modern day chairmen could take note of the kind of achievements men such as Dave Bassett and Joe Royle brought to their clubs instead of anticipating a manager to weave a magic wand and turn some League One strugglers into Champions League contenders within two years! There is a list that has been compiled by the League Managers Association that shows that out of the ninety-two league clubs in the England, Owen Coyle is the forty-sixth longest serving manager having been in his job for just twelve months. That fact alone speaks volumes for the current climate in which managers are finding it near impossible to assemble the team that they want with limited time and resources to do so.
It must have taken club chairmen themselves a while to prosper, so why they think someone else can do it straight away is anyone’s guess. I know that there is a lot at stake, but if the fans and, more importantly, the players are behind the man in charge then he should be left alone to get on with his job because they are ultimately the people who know the work that is going on behind the scenes and what he is trying to accomplish; they understand it and want to help him succeed.
It seems though, that the men on the board use their power to get attention; if things are not going well for their club, they like to think that they are doing it a massive service in ridding it of the man who they think is to blame, so that, in doing so, they can get the plaudits if things eventually do go right and that it was their decision that made it happen. Brown’s circumstance was inevitable, if all that is said is true, as the man in charge has to have the support of the players and for them to be willing to work with him in achieving their goals, but otherwise, if chairmen continue to be the gremlin on their back, bullying them into getting everything right first time, then the only respect they lose is for themselves.
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