Brown back to fitness and finding his form (From The Northern Echo)

Brown back to fitness and finding his form

8:00am Saturday 11th February 2012 in Sport By Nick Loughlin

IN RECENT years, Hartlepool United managers have been left frustrated as James Brown missed chunks of the season.

Three cruciate knee ligament injuries and a string of niggles mean the attacker has spent more times out of the team than in it.

Now into his seventh season at the club, Brown has made just 118 Football League starts.

Today he will make his 192nd appearance, as Pools take on Bournemouth at Victoria Park.

And, with plenty of encouraging signs that his troubles are well and truly behind him, the 25-year-old could be just the job for Neale Cooper.

The recently-returning Pools boss saw Brown score his first of the season against Rochdale on January 7 - his first goal in over a year, that against today's opponents Bournemouth in December 2010.

While Cooper is renowned for getting the best out of his charges, Brown is flourishing.

"For me, the big one, getting fitter and stronger every day is James Brown - what a bonus that is for us,'' said Cooper.

"He was really good against Carlisle, in training his workrate is fantastic. I came back and people asked what would happen to him, but he has been fantastic and we want to get him back to the player he was a few years ago.''

He added: "James Brown is a really nice boy, sometimes they need an arm around the shoulder to tell them how well they are doing.

"It is a big bonus to see him back, a bonus for everyone.

"Browny has been getting stuck in, enjoying tackles. I see in training as well and it's never been part of his game. He has done everything in training and not pulled out of anything.

"I said to Micky (Barron) and Ritchie (Humphreys) that in training I see him do things others can't do, great feet, he sees things and he does well in the role he is playing.

"With one striker in Luke (James), he can come in from defenders and feed balls in.''

Brown was emerging through the youth ranks during Cooper's previous spell in charge.

When he made the first-team there was talk of Celtic and Tony Mowbray's West Brom planning moves.

"If he didn't have his injury problems then he wouldn't be at this club - there was talk a few years ago of millions for him, and him at his best, that would be quite cheap,'' admitted Cooper.

"Go back to how he has played. He has had a hard time, but it still young and the target is to get back to that.''

Today's game is on after an afternoon pitch inspection yesterday and the Cherries then flew into Durham Tees Valley Airport.

Pools are four without defeat, a different story to their run of form pre-Cooper when they lost nine successive games at home, struggling to score never mind win.

But after whacking Carlisle last time out two weeks ago, Cooper added: "There's a nice feeling around the place, they have given me a lot in training and matches - let's hope it continues. They have to have the belief they can go on a wee run as well. Yes we are four unbeaten, but they have to have that belief.

"The momentum is important. We have had a week without a game, but you never know how it will affect you when you return.

"The boys are all looking forward to the game.''

He added: "Every day we work on things, we are fortunate as we are getting into good habits - they listen and do as you say which is good for a coach and manager.

"And we try and install into them what we are looking for and, touch wood, they are doing it.''

Today's opponents have spent £800,000 on striker Matt Tubbs and he scored in the midweek win over Exeter.

They are six points ahead of Pools and Cooper admitted: "Bournemouth are up there, I said to the boys that if we are serious about the play-offs we have win every week, this is no difference and they are a good team. But it's about what we do. We go into it on the back of our last performance, which was very good.

"There was parts when we took our foot off the gas a bit, but the good things from it we do more and do again - do it and we cause problems.

"Bournemouth have spent some money of late, the striker Matt Tubbs has come in for big money. But we deal with it, I've got good boys at the back who have done well of late, a couple of mistakes at Sheffield Wednesday aside.

"The boys have done great for our team and they won't enjoy playing against our back four.''