Source: Telegraph
Nick Barmby's fire still burns brightly
Hull City v Manchester UnitedKick-off: Sun May 24, 4.00pm, KC Stadium, HullTV: Sky Sports 3, Sky Sports HD3Radio: BBC Radio Five Live [LNB]"Up and down really", he says with a grimace, before breaking into a smile, realising that his understated tone doesn't get near to doing reality justice. With 27 points on the board at Christmas, Hull have been careering down a glass slope since. Up and down? The before and after pictures bear no resemblance at all. [LNB] Related ArticlesBrown: I'm loving every minuteHull: End-of-season reportHull v Manchester United: PreviewFabregas cleared of 'spitting' chargesSport on televisionPredictor: How will your team finish?As a local lad, Barmby doesn't need reminding of the collapse. Explaining it, however, isn't so easy going into Sunday's crunch game with Manchester United. [LNB]"It has been a roller-coaster ride but we knew at the start that we would go through sticky patches", he says. "It's how we handled them. After defeats, you've got to get it out of your mind and go on to the next match. [LNB]"Any promoted side would think like that. You look at Stoke. They started a bit dodgy and then came on strong whereas we obviously started very well and then...I wouldn't say faded away because we've been punished a lot for single mistakes. Apart from Man City away and Chelsea at home, we could have got a result in every game."[LNB]Ah yes, Manchester City, the time when Phil Brown, the manager, decided to conduct his half-time team talk out on the pitch. That public humiliation has been widely described as the moment when Brown lost the backing of his players, an accusation Barmby is quick to deny. [LNB]"People go on about that but the week before we got done 4-1 at home to Sunderland when they scored three goals in the last five minutes", he explains. "It wasn't the Man City thing. It [the decline] just coincided with that. [LNB]So why did Brown do it? [LNB]"The manager is enthusiastic, he's bright, he's bubbly and I think it was just an impulse thing. Some people like it and some people don't but I can tell you none of the lads have gone against the manager. I've read he lost the dressing room after that but that certainly didn't happen. [LNB]"It has been a frustrating second half of the season but the lads have stuck in there, their heads haven't gone down. I know it's easy for me to say this but you can see from training that the desire's still there."[LNB]A good job, too, seeing as the champions are in town, albeit with a second-string side ahead of Wednesday's Champions League final. Unsurprisingly, Barmby doesn't take much comfort from United's squad rotation. [LNB]"It's very disrespectful to talk about weakened sides because they're all class players and United have earned the right to do what they like. Anyway, whatever comes out that dressing room we know we're in for a tough, tough game. Some of those players have a massive incentive, trying to get on the bench in Rome."[LNB]Such a thought must take the former England international back a few years when the likes of Tottenham, Everton and Liverpool benefited from his talent. Now granted another year at his hometown club, the 35-year-old just prays he can end his career on a high. [LNB]"I still love it", he concludes. "The fire's still burning inside when I come in, especially on a Saturday. When that dies I'll know it's time to finish. In a funny way, I don't think there's as much pressure on you when you're coming to the end because you just want to get out there and play. [LNB]"I've enjoyed every minute. I really have. I've been lucky enough to play for my country, play in big games and travel the world." [LNB]Conscious this is sounding like a retirement speech, Barmby quickly adds, "But it's not finished yet." [LNB]No it isn't. One of the tensest, most nerve-wracking occasions imaginable lies just round the corner. [LNB]
