Back in January, Phil Brown made a final decision on the future of a club legend, a man who had scored a cupboardload of goals and was as instrumental as anyone as far as Hull City's recent progress was concerned.
The player was Stuart Elliott. Having been peripheral in the opening months of the season, he was given his chance at Plymouth Argyle in the third round of the FA Cup. He duly proceeded to play in as disinterested, half-hearted and isolated a manner as possible, and was substituted at half time with the Tigers 2-0 down. Such a vacant performance from a player so adored by the Tiger Nation for his activities over the previous half a dozen years was hard to stomach, but we knew the end of the line had been reached. And so did Brown. Elliott was packed off to Doncaster Rovers, on a loan to last the remainder of the season, with a permanent signing on a Bosman rubberstamped for the season's end.
It is sad to relate that, almost exactly 12 months later, the manager has made a similarly poignant and necessary decision on another club icon, this time someone whose God-like status with Hull City makes Elliott look merely superhuman by comparison.
Dean Windass was given a starting role at Manchester City on Boxing Day, the place in the side he has whined and blogged about not getting all season. With rumours abound that Daniel Cousin's attitude has been the dominant factor in Brown's decision to bench the Gabonese striker of late, and with Caleb Folan injured, the opportunity for Windass was gilt-edged.
He not only didn't take it, but he severely messed up. This wasn't just a player out of his depth, it was a player who looked capable of any kind of depth. It's as unpleasant a feeling as any when one looks at Windass and feels compelled to criticise, but for a man so anxious, publicly, to prove his worth as a footballer and competitor in the Premier League, to put in such a tepid, selfish, bedraggled shift, simply stinks.
Brown thought so too and, like Elliott, substituted him at half time. The whole team had played poorly at Manchester City but the ineptitude and indifference of Windass was the sore thumb.
It seems most unlikely that Windass will be involved as anything other than a suited spectator against Aston Villa tomorrow night. Even if he does make the teamsheet, one can't help but think that his departure from the KC is mere days away. Brown is as unsentimental a manager as I've ever known - see the way that popular, committed figures like Elliott, Damien Delaney, David Livermore, Wayne Brown and Ryan France have had their futures starkly mapped out by the boss - and while Windass will never see his reputation or status as a clubman corrode or gather dust, it will be only the absolutely correct decision if he goes in January. Ample clubs at a lower level will want his experience and infectious demeanour - not to mention his class and goalscoring prowess - but in these lofted times, he is simply no longer good enough or of the right mindset to be a Hull City player.
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