Down into Contention for next Man City Manager

Iain Dowie has emerged as a strong contender for the permanent manager's job at Manchester City based on his comments and the odds offered by the bookmakers. <?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O />The Crystal Palace manager is reported not to have ruled himself out of the running. This is hardly surprising considering Dowie still has a home in the North West and has a volatile relationship with Simon Jordon. A decision to leave the Eagles could be made easier should Dowie be relegated in a few months. Although that would normally be seen as failure, giving the South London club a chance of surival is viewed by many as a major achievement. Whether Manchester City look outside the club for a successor to Kevin Keegan will very much depend on how Stuart Pearce fares as caretaker between now and the end of the season. The former England left back is a best price 10/3 to get the job fulltime. Gordon Strachan is another candidate rated as an excellent prospect to make the move north. The Scot is available at the same price as Pearce, while Ian Dowie is 9/2.