Tigers can claw to safety with Dowie

Iain Dowie is the new manager of Hull City and TEAMtalk's James Marshment explains why he can steer the Tigers towards Premier League safety.

So Iain Dowie is the man tasked with saving Hull from the drop. Whether Dowie is capable of leading the Tigers into a third season of top-flight football remains to be seen, but he's certainly in a no-lose situation given most have long since condemned Hull to Championship football next term.

However, I think there are a number of reasons why Dowie and Hull have reasons to be cheerful and I'll explain just how their place at the top table of English football can, just about, be safeguarded for another 12 months at least.

Dowie cut his managerial teeth at Oldham, before his star brightened at Crystal Palace where he first helped the Eagles to promotion via the play-offs and then came within a whisker of saving them from instant relegation. Ill-fated spells at Charlton and Coventry followed and, barring brief stints at QPR and Newcastle, Dowie has since been a regular pundit on Sky Sports.

But he has never hidden from his desire to get back into management and he has bided his time to wait for the right role. And now his appointment at the KC Stadium gives him a brilliant chance to restore his reputation once again.

Here's why.

First up is the confirmation on Wednesday that Portsmouth's nine-point deduction has been ratified by the Premier League to all-but confirm their demotion, meaning it now looks like being just two relegation spots 'up for grabs'.

It's been well documented that relegation would hit the Tigers hard in the pocket, such has been their big spending, and with reputed wages of £50,000 a week for Jimmy Bullard and £45,000 a week for Stephen Hunt (both on lengthy contracts), some might say they have spent beyond their means.

So the question remains for Dowie and Hull - are there two worse teams than them in the Premier League this season?

For me, I think Burnley and their sudden loss of form at their once-formidable Turf Moor home will see their stay in the top flight come to an end after one season. Brian Laws was always a strange appointment for me given his less-than-impressive record in his final 12 months at Sheffield Wednesday and it's no surprise to see them languishing in the drop zone and plummeting faster than a stone.

Which leaves only one place remaining - and for me, it's a fight to the death between Wolves and Hull.

If Mick McCarthy's side are to stay in the division, then much of the credit will be down to their summer capture of Kevin Doyle. There were few willing to take a chance on the Irishman last summer, but whatever Wolves' situation at the end of this term, you can bet your last dollar there will be a queue of clubs in the race to sign the former Reading star come May.

Wolves, though, have been extremely inconsistent in 2009/10 and have a genuine lack of goals throughout the side. Ten goals at home so far this term tells its own story, while the injuries and loss of form suffered by last season's key duo Michael Kightly and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake have contributed dramatically to their struggles as well.

So for me, it's all about who holds their nerve in the final nine games this season. And if you take a look at the games remaining, Hull have a selection (on paper at least) of winnable games - starting with Pompey away this weekend. Their other away dates are at Stoke, Birmingham and Wigan - not the hardest collection of trips, I'm sure you will agree. Their fixtures at the KC Stadium see them take on Fulham, Burnley and Sunderland before they host Liverpool on the final day in a match which could well have far more at stake for the Tigers than it will the Reds.

I don't want to predict how many points Hull will win, or how many will be required to stay in the Premier League. But 37 has long been mooted as the target for safety, and with that in mind, Hull would need 13 from their remaining matches. A reachable target, some might say.

So what of Wolves' final games? Well, they start with a Midlands derby at Champions League-chasing Aston Villa and also have away trips to Arsenal, Fulham and Pompey. Not the easiest. Their home clashes see them face Everton, Stoke, Blackburn and Sunderland, which will represent better chances of picking up points for the Molineux men. So really, it's touch and go as to whom fares better between the two clubs in their remaining games.

But fresh impetus from a new man in charge, I believe, will give Hull the vital edge to not just ensure another season of top-flight football for the Tigers, but also help restore Dowie's mantle as one of the country's best young managers.