Dowie on thin ice

Iain Dowie knows the knives will be out for him should Charlton lose their bottom-of-the-table showdown with Watford tomorrow - but he has no intention of falling on his sword.

The Addicks have been beaten in seven out of eight Barclays Premiership matches under their new manager, who took over from the long-serving Alan Curbishley in the summer.

Curbishley steered Charlton through 15 seasons of steady progression from being without a home to establishing themselves as a top-flight club.

Dowie remains positive and firmly believes the current Charlton squad, which benefited from significant investment over the summer, has what it takes to soon pull clear of the danger zone.

'Does it hurt when people are writing you have one game left? Of course,' the Charlton manager admitted.

'If people think that one win in eight matches is going to be a bed of roses they are living in a different world, it is not going to happen.