Source: Telegraph
Hull City manager Phil Brown attacks Geovanni
The long-term future of Hull City's Brazilian forward, Geovanni, has been plunged into doubt after he was the subject of an extraordinary attack by manager Phil Brown following his public display of insubordination.
The former Barcelona and Manchester City player incurred Brown's wrath after responding to his 53rd-minute substitution with a show of head-shaking petulance as he left the field before kicking a water bottle in the dugout
A chorus of boos rang around the KC Stadium aimed at Brown who later put the club's most high-profile player firmly in his place in an astonishing blast.
"He will never do that to me again," Brown said. "I'm the manager. I haven't spoken to him yet. He's getting drugs-tested so hopefully they will find that positive."
"Geovanni is not bigger than this football club - it's as simple as that. I don't think he was having a positive impact on the game."
Brown insisted Geovanni, who was replaced by Nick Barmby, still had a role to play in halting Hull's freefall.
"I'm there to make big decisions and if the fans don't like it then they don't like it there is nothing I can do about that," Brown added.
"Nicky Barmby was our match-winner last Thursday against Sheffield United and it was a chance of him to play in a similar position and as I saw it he had a positive impact."
Hull have now won just one Premier League game in their last 18 attempts. "This is the biggest test in my career as a manager and it probably is for the rest of the players," Brown said. "We have to play above ourselves in the last 11 games."
Rovers took the lead when Warnock thumped in a loose ball after City keeper Matt Duke had spilled a spinning ball under pressure from Roque Santa Cruz who teed up the midfielder in the 35th minute.
The advantage was doubled within a minute as Brown's defence froze allowing Morten Gamst Pedersen to find Warnock whose low cross was knocked in from close range by former Hull midfielder Keith Andrews.
Brown's woes deepened in the 63rd minute when Dean Marney was dismissed by Martin Atkinson for retaliating to Pedersen's clumsy aerial challenge by kicking the prostrate Norwegian right where it hurts.
"I'm disappointed in Dean but it was uncharacteristic," Brown added." It just shows how much pressure these players are under. He's in tears in the changing rooms but that counts for nothing. He got his comeuppance."
Hull were invigorated when Pedersen - booked for his challenge on Marney- was sent off after being cautioned for a clumsy foul on Kamil Zayatte in the 70th minute.
But a late siege yielded just Ian Ashbee's 79th minute goal when he thumped in a Bernard Mendy cross beyond substitute goalkeeper Jason Brown - a half-time replacement for the injured Paul Robinson - from 12 yards out to set up a frantic finale.
Rovers manager Sam Allardyce: "It wasn't about how we played it was about how we had to dig this one out. We had to hang on for the last ten minutes but we defended tremendously. We got what we deserved. This was my first win away from home so we've laid a bogey to rest."
