Ian Dowie Set for Coventry...Paladini's Reported Dowie Interest Noted

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Coventry bank on Dowie to stay up
Daily Mail/ NEIL MOXLEY - 17th February 2007
"Iain Dowie will be named as Coventry City's new boss on Monday. The former Charlton manager, sacked in November after the Addicks' dreadful start to the Premiership campaign, will be unveiled at the Ricoh Arena as Micky Adams' successor after the weekend.
The Sky Blues travel down the M69 to rivals Leicester City on Saturday afternoon with caretaker boss Adrian Heath in charge for the final time as, irrespective of the result against the Foxes, his brief tenure will come to an end.
The board wanted to delay the news until after the weekend to inform Heath of their decision, but news has leaked out that Dowie will become Coventry's sixth boss in as many years.
The former Northern Ireland international will be trying to re-establish his managerial credentials after a disastrous stay at the Valley in which he recorded just four victories during a reign that lasted just 15 matches.
And he will be battling to halt a slide down the Championship table which began prior to Christmas that ultimately saw Adams get the chop. After lying just outside the play-off positions in mid-December, a poor run of form that has seen the Sky Blues secure just one victory in their last 12 matches has set the alarm bells ringing.
Securing Dowie however, will be seen as something of a coup, particularly as the new owner of Saturday's opponents, Milan Mandaric, confirmed earlier this week he had approached the ex-West Ham striker about taking over at the Walkers Stadium from Rob Kelly.
And it has emerged that he was also a target for crisis club QPR whose manager John Gregory will be seeking answers to why chairman Giani Paladini sounded out Dowie behind his back.
Paladini turned to Dowie as he was seeking a popular choice to take over as manager in an attempt to avert a fans' demonstration against him next week - a protest that is likely to go ahead regardless of whether or not Gregory remains in charge.
...Mail

[NB: The Sun also reports that Dowie is new Coventry Manager - The Sun