risky

By Tiger Tim
October 27 2008

Chairman Paul Duffen has admitted that his decision to hand the Hull job to Phil Brown was something of a gamble, although he is delighted to have seen it pay off in such fine style. Brown took over from phil Parkinson in December 2006 and has taken Hull from the lower reaches of the Championship to third in the Premiership. Duffen knows that Brown's stock has risen to the extent that he expects an established Premier League side to come calling for his services.

He told the Daily Mirror: "When Phil Brown took over after Phil Parkinson it could have been a bit of a hospital pass.

"But he has done an amazing job and I would hope other clubs are looking at Phil - he is very good at his job.

"I absolutely believe Phil Brown will manage a big club. But the wonderful thing about the situation at Hull City is that he can do more than that - he can create a big club.

"That is where Phil's ambitions lie in the immediate future. He has just signed a new contract and he is happy here. We are riding our luck but the more we do, it is less about luck."

He added: "Our season is not beyond my wildest dreams because they usually involve Elle Macpherson.

"When we set out at the beginning of the season we didn't set out to lose. If we finish in Europe or the top 10 the players will be rewarded accordingly and you have to plan for success.

"The Premier League is a meritocracy and the ladder payments are quite considerable - at about £750,000 a place - so the bonus payments are self-financing.

"From the beginning of the season we had a bonus structure in place and I will be deliriously happy to pay out those bonuses."