After 11 minutes of Saturday’s game between Hull City and West Ham, Phil Brown looked doomed. After a dubious team selection and a horrendous start to the game, the Tigers boss was on the precipice; but then, an amazing comeback occurred, and while a three goal blitz before half time only brought one point instead of three, the manner of the result could cement Brown’s long term future at the club more than a scrappy one-nil victory would have. Make no mistake; the players are really backing the manager now.

Though you wouldn’t think it in the manner of the team’s defending on Saturday. Three horrible goals were conceded, with all of the five defensive players to blame at some point. A free header from a corner, needlessly conceded by Mendy and Zayatte, a looping head that Dawson probably, and Duke certainly, should have dealt with better, and a ill-defended corner in which City’s towering centre halves were nowhere to be seen. A worrying state of affairs, but let’s be nice and put it down to bad defensive day at the office.

In truth, it’s churlish to complain too loudly at the standard of defending, as it helped engineer an enticing, exuberant, exhilarating game of football that left no spectator feeling short changed. It was refreshing to see two teams trying to pass the ball and try to win the game, which may quite possibly have been the best game played at the KC while the Tigers were in the Premier League, or certainly at least since the riveting 2-2 draw against Everton last September.

Bullard has been the catalyst for the transformation, but others have helped him. The cockney playmaker has been even better than City fans were hoping for, but he has been ably assisted by the likes of Craig Fagan, who has put in two terrific shifts in the last two games, and Stephen Hunt, who was back to his best against the Hammers. After finally getting a run of games we are starting to see better from Jozy Altidore, who showed some lovely touches at times in the first half. His play will surely only improve.

The strange thing about Saturday’s game for me was Geovanni’s omission. The little Brazilian has been City’s best player by far in the opening months of the season, and I don’t see how Brown could justify leaving him out on Saturday. I would have played Geo on the right wing instead of the workmanlike but uninspiring Richard Garcia. Maybe Brown thinks Geo and Bullard would get in each other’s way, but I feel the pair would dovetail nicely, with Geo getting a license to play further up the pitch thanks to the deep-lying Bullard.

Perhaps Brown felt that Jimmy can’t play three games in a week, and might not play the midfielder on Wednesday night against Everton. We’ll see. But whatever, City’s chance of staying up are greatly increased with these gifted playmakers in the side. Losing either would be a massive blow for the rest of the season.

Whether the rest of the season will involve Phil Brown as City manager remains uncertain, but the last two performances can have done him no harm in keeping the job. The players are really starting to play for him, and this, couple with a more adventurous philosophy has give City the look of a team who can pick up points in this league. Whether any points will come from the next three games is questionable, with a visit from a very strong Everton side followed by a trips to moneybags Man City and the impressive Aston Villa making City’s task exceedingly difficult. However, City showed last season that they raise their game for the bigger teams, and hopefully we can get back to some good form in away games.

It cannot be said that City have turned the corner yet, but they definitely look like a team up for the relegation scrap now, and less like the insipid doomed side they appeared a month ago.

Might do a Q+A after the Everton game if you’ve got a question.

Cheers
TC.