Tweet
Date:
09 November 2010
By Steve Wilson
The tea cups went flying, the wild eyes were looking around for his next victim and Michael Brown knew when the time was right to keep his head down.
Neil Warnock, who managed the Pompey midfielder during their time together at Sheffield United, has long been recognised as one of the more combustible characters in the game.
And Brown has seen the manager lose his rag more times than he cares to remember.
The QPR boss, who has been linked with the job at Fratton Park several times in recent years, brings his table-topping side to the south coast tonight, and Brown is expecting a pre-match phone call from his old mentor.
But Brown believes the Yorkshireman has mellowed with age.
He recalled: 'You'd be in the dressing room and sometimes the teapot, the cups, the lot would all go. There were always a few scraps.
'I had the odd row with him but I still speak to him every now and then and he was great with me.
'He could go ballistic after a game and then on Monday morning it would be "morning lads, how are you?" as if nothing had happened.
'Sometimes he had the hump until Tuesday, though.
'I'm sure I'll get a call off Warnock before the game.
'They've had a fantastic run and they haven't been beaten yet.
'Warnock has relaxed a lot more than when I first met him. He used to fight everything to be successful.
'Now he accepts things as they are a bit more and can enjoy being a manager.
'I think he's done really well at QPR.
'He took Sheffield United up and he did really well with Crystal Palace to get them up to the play-offs from near the bottom.'
Warnock was close to being appointed Pompey boss before Harry Redknapp returned to the club from Southampton and was often in former chairman Milan Mandaric's thoughts during the recruitment process.
It has often been remarked that his character would have been an ideal fit with the club and supporters.
But Brown sees some similarities between Warnock and Blues boss Steve Cotterill, with their motivational skills and the relationship they forge with players.
Brown explained: 'I think they are both strong characters.
'They are both great with the players, they are really good at motivating the players, they make you relaxed and they make you enjoy your work.
'Warnock has that ability to create something. It's not always technical and I don't think he goes to watch a load of games or anything like that.
'But he knows how to manage people, for sure, and he knows how to get the best out of people.
'I'm sure he's still got that angry streak.
'But I don't think any players would have a problem with him when they are winning.
'If you cross him, though, good luck because he will get you!
'It might take a year or two but he will still get you in the end.'
Meanwhile, Brown is still using QPR as the benchmark for Pompey's resurgence, which took a dent after the weekend defeat at Derby.
He said: 'QPR were the main form team and were nine points ahead of us before the Derby game.
'They haven't been beaten yet so we'll be looking forward to giving them a game.
'The top six is not an issue to me at the moment, but it would be a nice bonus.
'I've just seen us get it down to nine points off QPR but that's gone back to 12. Now we've got to go again.'
Page 1 of 1
Last Updated: 09 November 2010 7:48 AM
Source: n/a
Location: Portsmouth
Bookmark:
Del.icio.us Digg Facebook reddit StumbleUpon
09 November 2010
By Steve Wilson
The tea cups went flying, the wild eyes were looking around for his next victim and Michael Brown knew when the time was right to keep his head down.
Neil Warnock, who managed the Pompey midfielder during their time together at Sheffield United, has long been recognised as one of the more combustible characters in the game.
And Brown has seen the manager lose his rag more times than he cares to remember.
The QPR boss, who has been linked with the job at Fratton Park several times in recent years, brings his table-topping side to the south coast tonight, and Brown is expecting a pre-match phone call from his old mentor.
But Brown believes the Yorkshireman has mellowed with age.
He recalled: 'You'd be in the dressing room and sometimes the teapot, the cups, the lot would all go. There were always a few scraps.
'I had the odd row with him but I still speak to him every now and then and he was great with me.
'He could go ballistic after a game and then on Monday morning it would be "morning lads, how are you?" as if nothing had happened.
'Sometimes he had the hump until Tuesday, though.
'I'm sure I'll get a call off Warnock before the game.
'They've had a fantastic run and they haven't been beaten yet.
'Warnock has relaxed a lot more than when I first met him. He used to fight everything to be successful.
'Now he accepts things as they are a bit more and can enjoy being a manager.
'I think he's done really well at QPR.
'He took Sheffield United up and he did really well with Crystal Palace to get them up to the play-offs from near the bottom.'
Warnock was close to being appointed Pompey boss before Harry Redknapp returned to the club from Southampton and was often in former chairman Milan Mandaric's thoughts during the recruitment process.
It has often been remarked that his character would have been an ideal fit with the club and supporters.
But Brown sees some similarities between Warnock and Blues boss Steve Cotterill, with their motivational skills and the relationship they forge with players.
Brown explained: 'I think they are both strong characters.
'They are both great with the players, they are really good at motivating the players, they make you relaxed and they make you enjoy your work.
'Warnock has that ability to create something. It's not always technical and I don't think he goes to watch a load of games or anything like that.
'But he knows how to manage people, for sure, and he knows how to get the best out of people.
'I'm sure he's still got that angry streak.
'But I don't think any players would have a problem with him when they are winning.
'If you cross him, though, good luck because he will get you!
'It might take a year or two but he will still get you in the end.'
Meanwhile, Brown is still using QPR as the benchmark for Pompey's resurgence, which took a dent after the weekend defeat at Derby.
He said: 'QPR were the main form team and were nine points ahead of us before the Derby game.
'They haven't been beaten yet so we'll be looking forward to giving them a game.
'The top six is not an issue to me at the moment, but it would be a nice bonus.
'I've just seen us get it down to nine points off QPR but that's gone back to 12. Now we've got to go again.'
Page 1 of 1
Last Updated: 09 November 2010 7:48 AM
Source: n/a
Location: Portsmouth
Bookmark:
Del.icio.us Digg Facebook reddit StumbleUpon
Comment