Dowie embraces Hull task

Tigers boss believes club can avoid relegation this term

By James Riach   Last updated: 17th March 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Too often too many managers come in and talk about what wasn't here before. Phil's done a great job here and should be applauded for it.

Iain Dowie on Phil Brown's efforts at Hull City
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New Hull City manager Iain Dowie says he is relishing the challenge of keeping the club in the Premier League.

Dowie has been appointed the new Tigers boss following the departure of Phil Brown and has been handed the task of retaining the club's top flight status.

Hull are currently 19th in the table and three points adrift of safety, following a disappointing run of four successive defeats.

But the experienced 45-year-old, who is set to take training for the first time on Thursday, believes he can save the team from relegation this season.

He told Sky Sports News: "I'm really looking forward to the challenge. It's a difficult one but one that I can embrace and my favourite time is when I'm on the training ground - that's what I love to do.

"The buzz of preparing things, of organising, seeing improvement in players, seeing a plan come together, learning from a session that goes wrong and putting things right.

"Its being on your feet, being on the sharp end - there's nothing like being a coach.

"I'm coming to a working class town that has a ferocious fanbase that needs a team representative of that ferocity and tenacious spirit.

"The club have won one in 15 and in a poor run of form away from home. But what we must do is look forward.

"We've got nine great games - five at home and four away - and some games with people in and around us.

"We want to get to a position where destiny is in our own hands."

Foundations

Dowie, who has had stints in charge of Queens Park Rangers, Oldham, Charlton, Crystal Palace and Coventry, admits it has been a whirlwind few days.

He also believes there are good foundations at the KC Stadium that have been laid down by previous manager Phil Brown, giving him reason for optimism.

"It's all come as a bit of a whirlwind," he added. "I'm delighted. It's a huge challenge of course.

"We have to keep this club in the Premier League. It's a mark of the job Phil's done that says the calibre of individuals linked with the job.

"It's obviously a difficult time for Phil. I've been there, I had a fairly decent win percentage at QPR and it didn't work out for me.

"Too often too many managers come in and talk about what wasn't here before. Phil's done a great job here and should be applauded for it.

"So for me it's about looking forward and what we do from now on. It's not an easy one. We know it's a difficult situation.

"I'm looking forward to it, it's a great opportunity. I've got a lot of regard for Adam Pearson as a person.

"It's a city that can hold a Premier League ground. It has the fanbase to go on from here.

"There's no time for niceties. Come 10.30am tomorrow we're off and running."

Dowie's first game in charge is a trip to rock-bottom Portsmouth at the weekend, and he wants to start his tenure with a victory.

He remarked: "We've got a real tough away game at a resurgent Portsmouth, certainly at home under Avram Grant, so we've got to go there and try and get something on the board, try and win away from home.

"That's our ambition. We're going to play positively. It's not a time to be negative, we're going to go there and play in a positive fashion.

"What we require is the same tenacity and spirit they showed against Arsenal, and hopefully in the brief time put my stamp on how I want the team to play.

"My teams always play with a high tempo and we'll hopefully do that. We'll get the ball down, we'll get it out and we'll play, that's important."

Chairman reaction

Hull chairman Adam Pearson is pleased with the appointment, despite the decision to appoint Dowie not being completely popular among the club's fans.

He said: "We've got a very honest manager who is going to give us some good discipline and integrity.

"He's going to work very hard. He's got a small package of games, nine games, but five or six in there we feel are eminently winnable.

"He's somebody who'll really embrace the challenge and get straight in there. He'll make a big impact on the squad.

"That is the plan. Everything at this stage in the season has a gamble about it but we're optimistic his presence and with his impact we'll have a change of fortune.

"Sometimes it is not possible to make popular decisions. Sometimes those hopes of the supporters are slightly unrealistic.

"We've a manager here who understands about survival battles, who understands the Premier League, and has good relationships with players and works hard.

"We've picked a specific man for a specific job."

Comments (30)

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Mark Grimble (Swansea City fan) says...

I have to say, i am very surprised at this appointment. Phil Brown has taken Hull to the top leauge in English football from nowhere. people have very short memories indeed. Phil Brown deserves all the applause for what he has done with the club. Dowie to me is not the right man for the job, but all the same Hull and the fans all the very best for the rest of the season, hope you stay up there

Posted 07:22 18th March 2010

Nick Conway (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...

I was in London in Jan to watch Tottenham v Hull - finished 0-0 - their keeper played a blinder. As we left, the Hull fans taunted the Spurs stewards about the fact that we couldn't beat them. The stewards reply was "well done, shame you won't be here next season to do it all again". He must have known back then that they'd appoint Dowie! Shocking decision.

Posted 05:05 18th March 2010

Jeremy Canning (Arsenal fan) says...

Trading up Ian Dowie for Phil Brown???? Crazy decision. I fear Hull are for the drop - I think they may have had a chance with Brown - they have generally played well - we just beat them with a near time goal. Have also had a reasonable run lately. Maybe they're preparing for the Championship ... shame to throw in the towel. Maybe the WI are more influential than we thought?

Posted 02:22 18th March 2010

David S (Aston Villa fan) says...

Another chairman on another planet. Adam pearson thinks 5 or 6 of Hull's remaining 9 games are eminently winnable!! Teams that are 19th in the Prem in March do not win 5 or 6 games out of 9! Not even close. Hull have have only won 5 games all season and have won the fewest amount of games along with Portsmouth.

Posted 02:18 18th March 2010

Chris Saunderson (Hull City fan) says...

I really wish the Hull fans would just get behind the team for a change and stop complaining. It should not matter who is in charge us real fans will support the club through and through. Phil Brown will always hold that something special with all city fans after what he has done for us but i have total faith in Adam Pearson and as he says the stats speak for themselves. Good luck Iain Dowie, it would seem you have as much to prove as we do as a club. Give the bloke a chance! Lets just remember when Brown let Windass go because he was not performing, it hurt a lot of city fans after what he did for us, well Brown was no longer performing. It was Brown who once told us theres no room for Sentimental values in the Premier League!

Posted 00:53 18th March 2010

Ben Agnew (Arsenal fan) says...

Hull have made a really big mistake and I really liked Phill Brown too but Dowie will be useless

Posted 22:03 17th March 2010

Mike Ansell (Hull City fan) says...

Adam Pearson has just committed football suicide by bringing in a manager with a lousy record.People forget how he brought in Phil Parkinson and paid a lot of money in compensation only to sack after a few games.This is the worst decision he has made since his involvement with Hull City.

Posted 20:18 17th March 2010

Mike Beck (Hull City fan) says...

Thankyou Premier League I very much enjoyed it while it lasted, again thankyou and goodbye!

Posted 20:10 17th March 2010

Gordon Baxter (Crystal Palace fan) says...

What are Hull thinking, Ian Dowie as manager. Good luck staying up. Sorry to say but Hull have 2 hopes of staying up. Bob Hope & no hope

Posted 19:52 17th March 2010

Norman Moore (Coventry City fan) says...

When Ian Dowie was at Coventry, he always could talk the talk, but never walk the walk. Remember the Crystal Palace court case?

Posted 19:47 17th March 2010

Paul Maslanka (Hull City fan) says...

I wish i had skysports over here! I think Phil should have at least had til the end of the season. Althought i really dont agree with how he has bought players and not used them...Kamel Ghilas....Peter Halmosi (not really prem quality but give him a chance). And no omatter what contract dispute i think that Tom Cairney should have started and prob even Liam Cooper, give the lad a chance..Tigers through and through!

Posted 19:40 17th March 2010

Oliver Steels (Hull City fan) says...

A) Should never have got rid of Phil Brown. B) We need to get behind Dowie or else we're going down. Whoever it is in charge they all do a similar job I honestly don't know what Pearson is doing - as if he is preparing us for the championship. Big shame as this season there was so much potential, hopefully we can hang on to the likes of Cairney and have a strong 'un next season if it all goes wrong from here. Hull City through and through!

Posted 19:14 17th March 2010

Arthur Willis (Newcastle United fan) says...

Judge the man on his results with Hull. He was handed a tough task, along with Alan Shearer, this time last year at Newcastle, We had already resigned our selves to go down. Let the man do his job, if he saves Hull from relegation then nobody will be calling him. Best of luck to both him and Hull

Posted 19:12 17th March 2010

Guy Bradley (Huddersfield Town fan) says...

What a fantastic appointment this is for Wolves fans! With Dowie in charge he can totally save Wolves from the drop!!!

Posted 15:51 17th March 2010

Mike Davies (Wolverhampton Wanderers fan) says...

Why are Hull fans complaining already??? He hasnt even had one training session with the team. Judge him on results with hull not on his past! Its still very tight at the bottom even for my team Wolves, there are still 6 teams, maybe more, still not safe from the drop.

Posted 15:51 17th March 2010

Rob Black (Hull City fan) says...

Its all about the last 9 games from here on in, who knows for sure that Dowie wont be able to cut the mustard & keep us up. I see this appointment as a decent one although i admit it was tough on Brown but we have to get behind him 100 % and hope a change of manager, tactics etc will provide us with better performances and the points we need to to stay up. A TIGER IS FOR LIFE NOT JUST THE PREMIERSHIP :-)

Posted 15:28 17th March 2010

Johnny Howarth (Bolton Wanderers fan) says...

Looks like Hull City have got a "gary megson",feel sorry for ya City,Phil Brown is the man.

Posted 15:06 17th March 2010

Roy Marriner (Everton fan) says...

I had to check the date, I thought it was April Fools Day, of all the choices why Dowie?, ask yourselves what has he done ? goodbye Hull F C.

Posted 14:50 17th March 2010

Stuart Gale (West Ham United fan) says...

Hull have replaced a Premier League manager with a Championship one. Is Dowie a short term fix or long term choice? either way Hull will be playing in the championship next season.

Posted 14:33 17th March 2010

John Jones (Charlton Athletic fan) says...

Hull City, what have you done? You have just appointed the biggest twerp in football as your manager. He goit sued by Palace for being an untrustworthy mercinary, then sacked by Charlton, Coventry, QPR and Newcastle for being completely and utterly 100% useless. Browny was City through and through. He got you from the gutter to the prem, Dowie will take you right back down there, and some.

Posted 14:13 17th March 2010
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