Duffen’s patience running out with Brown?

Hull City boss Phil Brown is believed to be in the firing line after the Tigers slumped to a 1-0 home defeat to Birmingham at the weekend and slipped into 19th place in the Premier League.

Brown’s men have clocked up just two victories in 2009 and chairman Paul Duffen is considering an experienced alternative to Brown in a bid to lift the Tigers’ gloom.

Duffen is a big admirer of Brown after the former Bolton assistant won promotion to the Premiership in his first full season in charge of the Yorkshire outfit and will be loathed to dispense with Brown, who he appointed in January 2007.

However last season’s flirt with relegation and with this season’s poor start, Brown is believed to be on borrowed time and with two home games looming against Wigan and Portsmouth two more defeats could spell the end of his tenure.

Brown’s infamous on-the-pitch team-talk at Manchester City last season can be traced back as the start of Hull’s collapse after a superb start to life in the Premier League.

However wins at Arsenal and Tottenham were soon forgotten as the Tigers found themselves 5-0 down at half-time at Eastlands on Boxing Day.

Brown’s decision to lambast his players on the pitch at half-time, did at the time look rash, but now looking back his actions were far more destructive with just two wins since that fateful day.

Just about any other club in the Premier League would have axed Brown considering his dreadful record, but Duffen has been patient, however even he is now considering a change of direction.

Former Celtic chief Gordon Strachan is believed to be heading the list of replacements with Duffen hoping some of the Scot’s experience can rub off on the squad at the KC Stadium.

Strachan – who left Celtic in the summer after a successful four-year stint north of the border – is believed to be ready for a return to the game after a four-month sabbatical.

However the former Southampton and Coventry chief might take some persuading to return to a club struggling at the wrong end of the Premier League.