The first game was away to Plymouth on 9th December, 2006, and Brown made big changes to the team in attempt to find City's first win in five games. He ditched the 4-4-2 formation favoured by Phil Parkinson and went 4-3-3 instead. Two of Parkinson's expensive signings who had yet to live up to their price tags, Michael Turner and Dean Marney, were dropped to the bench. Damien Delaney was moved to the centre of defence, with natural left-back Andy Dawson reinstated. John Welsh came into a three-man midfield. The changes almost paid off as City came close to earning a point, but for a spectacular Sylvan Ebanks-Blake goal 19 minutes from time.
Brown kept with the 4-3-3 formation for his next game in temporary charge, against Cardiff, who were 3rd in the table before they came to the KC Stadium. The biggest home crowd of the season so far attended the match with ticket prices reduced. Goals from Damien Delaney, Dean Marney - in for the injured John Welsh, and Craig Fagan gave City an incredible half time lead. The visitors pulled one back, but, after coming on as a substitute, Michael Bridges rounded off a 4-1 win. Gary Megson was rumoured to be in attendance, but that performance persuaded chairman Adam Pearson to give Brown longer to show what he could do.
A week later, City faced relegation rivals Leeds United at Elland Road, and Brown had his first major selection headache. John Welsh and Nick Barmby missed out through injuries, as expected. The main problem for Brown, though, was the loss of midfield duo David Livermore and Ian Ashbee. Livermore, signed from Leeds earlier in the season, was not allowed to play due to an agreement in the transfer, while Ashbee was struck down with illness. Brown included Danny Coles and Ryan France in a makeshift midfield, and reunited Damien Delaney with his previously disastrous centre back partner Michael Turner. It looked like things couldn't get much worse, but then 28 minutes into the match City lost Steve McPhee to injury. Leeds failed to capitalise though and it ended goalless.
After a disappointing home defeat to Leicester, Brown turned it around with wins against Burnley and Sheffield Wednesday to convince Pearson to give him the job until the end of the season, having picked up 10 points from 6 games and climbed out of the relegation zone.
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