There is a dual significance in the reported purchase this week by Hull City of Paul McShane, the vigorous, unfussy Irish right back who spent a successful three-month loan period at the KC Stadium last season.
On an obvious level, it means that the right back issue caused by the sale of Sam Ricketts and the unconvincing attempts to fill the gap by Steven Mouyokolo and Kamil Zayatte is about to be solved. And solved superbly too.
On a less obvious level, it begins to dispel the wretched, spiteful myth spreading via the press that no player wants to play for Phil Brown. In McShane, we not only have a fresh recruit to the cause, a specialist in a role which currently has a vacancy, but also a footballer who knows Brown already from his impressive loan spell from Sunderland that only came to an end when Ricky Sbragia baulked at the idea of fellow relegation candidates benefitting directly from the abilities of a person on his watch, and recalled him without ever intending to give him a game.
Whether the press realise or notice this significance is open to question, and I sincerely doubt Brown gives a stuff anyway. But it is handy that the acquisition of a player who we really need on the pitch might just help Brown's own rehabilitation as coach and man off it.
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