English FA Premiership/ Charlton 2 Manchester City 5: Alan Curbishley is as likely to be sacked this week as Harry Redknapp is to be awarded the freedom of Southampton but the Charlton manager is enduring the sort of sequence that would spell the end for several of his colleagues.

Yesterday was his team's sixth consecutive defeat and an embarrassing one, too, against an impressive Manchester City.

Second in the league on October 22nd, Charlton have slipped to 12th. Their defending has deteriorated to such an extent that this was the fourth time in five matches that they have conceded three or more goals.

They were a shambles and City preyed on their weaknesses, with Andy Cole outstanding in scoring twice and setting up two others.

There was a confidence, invention and coordination to City's play which was absent from Charlton's efforts, with Joey Barton vibrant in midfield, Sylvain Distin solid at the back and Darius Vassell an intermittently lively partner for Cole. There were signs of life, too, in the frequently injured Trevor Sinclair. Goals have been a problem for Stuart Pearce's team but not here.

Most Charlton fans left before the finish but others booed their side down the tunnel. Curbishley deserves the security he has earned with his outstanding work during 700 games in charge but he has to find the answers to end this slump or questions about his future will become legitimate.

Fingers will be pointed at Charlton's back four, with Chris Perry, Hermann Hreidarsson and Jonathan Spector each helping City to score with poor play, but Curbishley saved his greatest criticism for the midfield.

"I have players who don't want to track, put their foot in, get the right side of their men or offer the back four any protection," he said. "Manchester City were stronger and quicker and brighter and were always going to be the winners."

After Cole had put City ahead, finishing well after Vassell had drawn two defenders, Darren Bent equalised when Richard Dunne failed to deal with a long ball by Luke Young. Yet Charlton's joy could not have been more short-lived. Fifty-four seconds later Cole set up Sinclair to speed beyond Spector and shoot under Kiely, and the game looked over when Barton made it 3-1.

Though Jay Bothroyd soon fired a low shot beyond David James, Cole's excellent pass released Vassell to score before he completed the scoring himself.

* Guardian Service