Dowie: I'm relishing Hull challenge
Published 12:44 17/03/10 By David Anderson
Iain Dowie has been set the target of winning four games to keep Hull up.
Dowie was unveiled as the Tigers' new boss this morning at the KC Stadium after signing a short-term deal for the rest of the season, and chairman Adam Pearson claims Hull need four victories from their last nine games to survive.
Hull are three points below the safety line with an inferior goal difference and Pearson admits he has taken a gamble by replacing Phil Brown with Dowie at this critical stage of the season.
"We need to fight and battle for every point and Iain has those attributes," he said.
"We're looking for fresh impetus to get us 13, 14 or 15 points. We're going to need four wins and I'm looking forward to working with him.
"It's definitely a gamble. Every decision in football carries a risk, but we had won six games out of 51, we've conceded 100 goals in those games, we'd not won away in over a year, we'd lost our last four games. If we had not changed things, we would have been relegated.
"Because of the job Phil did, Phil got a lot of loyalty from this club, but the statistics say we were heading in the wrong direction so that's why we have taken this gamble."
Dowie bumped into Brown at a charity function in Manchester yesterday and the former Charlton, Crystal Palace, QPR and Coventry boss is excited about being back in management after 10 months out.
"I was with Phil yesterday and we had a good chat and I think he should be applauded for the job he did here," he said.
"I want to look forward and this is a challenge I'm relishing.
"I know it's a squad which has been put together over a matter of years. I want them to show the tenacity and desire the players showed against Arsenal.
"I think we need to be more creative in possession, have a better shape about us as a unit and get more attempts on goal.
"I think I can make a difference here and there is a good mixture of experience, energy and people who care about this club."
Dowie, who turned Pearson down when he offered him the job in 2006, has brought in Tim Flowers and Steve Wigley as his backroom team and Brown's No 2 Brian Horton has quit the KC.
Dowie, 45, will pocket a £1million bonus if he can keep Hull in the Premier League and his position will be reviewed at the end of the season.
