Stoke City -Hull City Preview

Nov 6, 2009 - 4:33 PM GEOFF McALLISTER STATS European Football Writer=

LONDON (SE) - Phil Brown sends his Hull City side into action for possibly the last time when Stoke visit the KC Stadium on Sunday.

Brown's job hangs by a thread after Adam Pearson was confirmed as the club's new chairman in the wake of Paul Duffen's resignation.

Hull have collected only eight points from the first eleven matches and could even start the Stoke match bottom of the Premier League if Portsmouth beat Blackburn the day before.

Brown held a meeting with Pearson this week to find out if his future with Hull extends beyond this weekend and was pleasantly surprised by the response from his new boss.

Pearson did not sound like a man about to axe his manager when he said: "I had a positive discussion with Phil. We have had a meeting that was based on going forward over a lot long period of time than one game.

"But our results have got to improve. Phil knows that.

"I have a lot of respect for what Phil has achieved here. It has been an outstanding period in Hull's history.

"But in the last nine months or so the club has gone off the rails a bit. We need to get our focus back."

Pearson has promised that there will be cash available in the January transfer window but who gets to spend it depends on the Stoke result at the very least.

Anthony Gardner could make a rare start for Hull while American striker Jozy Altidore is also in Brown's plans after being fined two weeks' wages for being late for a recent match against Portsmouth.

But Brown's job could depend on what sort of impact Jimmy Bullard makes on his full debut, the little matter of 288 days after he was introduced on the pitch as their 5.5 million pounds new signing from Fulham.

Bullard has at last overcome a cruciate knee injury but until he plays a few games in succession, Hull will not know if he can influence their battle against relegation.

Stoke find themselves in the unprecedented position of being favourites to win a Premier League match after a year and a half of being perpetual underdogs.

Manager Tony Pulis has overseen Stoke's gradual improvement but sympathises with Brown's plight.

"I know what it is like taking a team out of the Championship and into the Premier League. It is a massive job because the jump in class is so huge.

"But I have told my players not to underestimate Hull because they are a team who have been under the spotlight lately and are having a hard time."

Pulis has a difficult choice to make between reliable deputy Andy Wilkinson and powerful German Robert Huth in defence.

Huth is available again after completing a three-match ban but Pulis said: "While Robert has been our best defender this season, Andy has come in and done a smashing job."