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Derby manager Phil Brown defended himself and striker Stern John after they both came under attack from angry fans at Pride Park during the 1-1 draw with Leicester.


Home fans were incensed when Brown replaced striker Paul Peschisolido with Mounir El Hamdaoui midway through the second half, with the crescendo of boos transformed into chants of `you don't know what you're doing' once the diminutive Canadian frontman had made his way down the tunnel.

John, who has joined the Rams on a three-month loan from Coventry, became the next focus of the supporters' ire after wasting two gilt-edged chances with fans' urging Brown to `get him off'.

And the Trinidad & Tobago international's eventual substitution was greeted by ironic applause.

The unpleasantness around Pride Park then intensified when, in the 86th minute, Iain Hume netted his first goal for Leicester since signing from Tranmere, although El Hamdaoui, who is on loan to Derby from Tottenham, registered an equaliser three minutes later.

An unrepentant Brown said: "Paul Peschisolido played a full 90 minutes earlier in the week and if any of those supporters had seen him training on Thursday or Friday, they would have realised the reason for the substitution.

"There was fatigue in those legs and it was always in my mind there was going to be a substitution for Paul.

"I was also looking at Jeff Kenna, but Andrew Davies was running a temperature of 38.6c before the game, although against doctors' advice he decided to put his body on the line for the club.

"It got to the point where he couldn't continue, so we had to take him off and bring Jeff into the centre of defence.

"People said I don't know what I'm doing, but I do know what I'm doing and I don't have to justify my team selection or my substitutions for anyone.

"The level of stick aimed at Stern John was unjustifiable. He started getting stick and then his confidence went, so that's why I decided to take him off."

Controversy had also surrounded Brown's decision to axe goalkeeper Lee Camp, whose absence had coincided with a phone call made to a local radio station by his father, Mick.

Camp senior criticised Brown's management, claimed his son had no received any goalkeeping coaching at all so far this season and made a personal attack on Davies' performances.

Instead, goalkeeping coach Kevin Poole started between the sticks and Lee Grant was on the bench.

"There is a situation there, yes," admitted Brown. "But it will be dealt with in-house.

"But the decision not to have started Lee had been made before any phone calls to radio stations and he wouldn't necessarily have made the bench either."

Foxes boss Craig Levein said: "In normal circumstances a point away from home would be seen as a good point, but after taking the lead with a few minutes to go we're disappointed not to have won.

"Yet again we've played well but not got what we deserved and that's beginning to sound monotonous."