Gary Brazil - Fulham Fix

[Cambridge Away]

Nice to see Gary Brazil on the Fulham Fix. As always, a well researched and respectful interview by Ivan and Felix, given Brazil was with us at our lowest ebb (and missed out on our climb back up).

Brazil said that we lacked squad depth during his time with us, which Simon Morgan also said of that period. We had a good team but were one or two players short of being up with a chance of promotion (to the championship), which we nearly did with Don Mackay in 1993 (he was carried above our heads at the end of the season when we nearly made the play offs), before he got us relegated in 1994.

The club had a lot of experienced/intelligent players during that time, who seemed to care about the club up to our worst season in 1996: John Marshall, Simon Morgan, Robbie Herrera, Kevin Moore, Terry Angus, Mike Conroy, Mark Blake, Nick Cusack, Alan Cork, and of course Micky Adams. Looking back, at that time it seems Jimmy Hill's trademark was investing money in experience.

Micky Adams detailed in his autobiography how he had a long discussion with Hill about not keeping Brazil, who was a Fulham stalwart at that point (signed at the same time as Simon Morgan). Hill saw him, like Morgan, as someone to build the team around. Adams wanted to add some young/fresh players (Watson, Cullip, Carpenter, Freeman, Scott), who had already seen success elsewhere, rather than keeping on thoughtful and intelligent professionals, who were also a bit war weary.

What Felix said about Brazil was true though; things could have been worse without those old heads around the place. Our demise may have been even more severe. Although the fact that teams who finished bottom of the basement division didn't go down in those days, did ultimately provide a safety net.

[SP]

I look forward to listening to this. I recall Gary as a tidy player who had decent technical ability. However, unless I'm mistaken, some elements of the crowd gave him what would become the ESR treatment. No internet back then fortunately.

[sunburywhite]

Great intewrview plus short snippet with Karagounis at the end

[iansthailand]

Brazil skillful but lightweight a bit like a number of the current squad.

[Marcus]

yes - Fulham Fix always very watchable.