Beleaguered Brown vows to save struggling Hull

Hull boss Phil Brown remains positive under intense pressure and views the club's change of regime as a fresh start rather than the beginning of the end.

Brown's position, already under heavy scrutiny due to his side's poor form, has been the subject of even more speculation this week following the appointment of Adam Pearson as chairman.

Pearson stated on his arrival on Monday that results needed to improve and offered Brown no job assurances beyond Sunday's Premier League visit of Stoke.

"It is a new manager, a new chairman, a new opportunity,'' Brown said. "I think the whole situation is a positive one in the face of adversity. It is one I am going to grab onto and try to move forward in the manner we did two-and-a-half to three years ago.''

Brown was first appointed by Pearson three years ago and saved the club from relegation to the third tier.

Pearson then left after the club was taken over but Brown continued and guided the club to promotion for the first time in their history in 2008.

In this calendar year, however, fortunes have nose-dived and Pearson returns not only to a club that boasts just three league wins in 11 months, but one struggling to meet an annual £36million wage bill.

Brown is confident he can play his part in turning the club around.

He said: "If you go back three years we needed to win sufficient games to stay in the Championship and we did. Last year we needed to win sufficient games to stay in the Premier League and we did.

"Now we have got to win sufficient games to stay in the Premier League again and we will.

"It is difficult when the media spotlight is so intense but that is the nature of the beast we have created. The spotlight is so intense because we are still in the Premier League.

"We need to win our home games to keep the media spotlight away.''

The upheaval has not affected Brown's confidence and he believes another performance similar to that in last week's unfortunate 2-0 loss at Burnley - and, interestingly, not necessarily a win - can help his side turn the corner.

He said: "You are looking at the temperament of the players in a situation where there is a lot of pressure being cranked up by other people. I think they are responding.

"I am more at ease because of the performance of the players at Burnley. A performance on Sunday will be sufficient for me because a performance would get the crowd behind us. It is not all about winning. It is about playing well and getting a performance that will send the fans home happy.''

Brown said he was "not going to disagree'' with Pearson for claiming the club needed to rediscover some humility but was not prepared to speak about their lengthy "in-house'' discussions.

Hull are without suspended playmaker Geovanni and injured goalkeeper Boaz Myhill but Jimmy Bullard is in contention to make his long-awaited home debut.

Bullard has missed two games with a shin problem since his much-hyped return from a nine-month knee injury lay-off.