Source: SKY_Sports
Brown remains upbeat
Phil Brown insists there were plenty of positives for Hull City to take out of a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool on Saturday.[LNB] The weekend setback leaves the Tigers just one place above the Premier League drop zone with four games of the season remaining.[LNB]They do have a three-point cushion on those below them, but that may not prove to be enough.[LNB]Brown, though, remains upbeat and insists his side were unfortunate not to get something from title-chasing Liverpool at the KC Stadium.[LNB]He felt referee Martin Atkinson did him no favours, while he was also left to bemoan Caleb Folan's needless dismissal.[LNB]"It doesn't give you any satisfaction losing, I'm not a good loser by any means," he said.[LNB]"Today we asked for the commitment we got at Sunderland last week. We got that and I think there was a bit more quality coming in the final third. I thought we produced more. [LNB]"We were then unfortunate to find ourselves 1-0 down at half-time, and having to pick players up, when there is an injustice been done. [LNB]"Our game plan really worked against the quality of Liverpool. We knew it was going to be tough and somebody has let them off the hook. [LNB]No excuses"We then have to go and chase the game. [LNB]"I have no excuses for the sending-off. It was justified and it will be dealt with in house. That killed us, playing 10 against 11. They were already 1-0 up and then Caleb has made it a big easier for them."[LNB]On the award of a free-kick which allowed Xabi Alonso to open the scoring, Brown felt the officials lost control of the situation.[LNB]"I can't see it myself," he said.[LNB]"I saw a possible free-kick by Dean Marney on Xabi Alonso on the halfway line and the referee's waved play-on, and rightly so. He then issues a yellow card, but you don't need to stop the game to issue a yellow card, you wait for the game to stop.[LNB]"Awarding a free-kick 20 yards out, when a Liverpool player has fallen over and given them a free shot on goal, I can't accept that."[LNB]Brown also accepts that his side must now raise their game during their remaining fixtures if they are to maintain their top flight status.[LNB]"The disappointing thing from my point of view is that we have saved the best for the best," he said.[LNB]"We need to start playing like that against the teams around us. We have got four games to go, two against the best and two against teams in and around us."[LNB]
