Cottee: Under pressure at Underhill (chrislobina/Allsport)

Goalscoring has continued to come easily to the Barnet player-manager since he joined the Third Division club from Norwich in November, and he has contributed 10 goals in 18 appearances.

But his less-familiar role off the pitch has not gone quite as smoothly and the 35-year-old former West Ham, Everton, Leicester and England striker is clearly struggling.

Barnet looked well placed to push for promotion when he took over, but they have dropped down the table since and are now just five points above the relegation spot going into Wednesday's game at promotion-chasing Brighton.

They have picked up only 15 points out of a possible 57 and have not won away in the League under Cottee.

Director of football John Still, who moved 'upstairs' to make room for Cottee, has returned to the dugout and there have been rumours of unrest among the players and doubts in the boardroom.

Just when it appeared things could not get much worse, the player-manager came down with flu and could not take his place on the training pitch.

'I am not feeling very good at the moment and will not be at the Brighton game if I am not well,' Cottee said.

'It has been difficult and I am still learning, but that is why I came to Barnet and with time we will get things right. We've not been getting the results and that has been disappointing, but there are no major problems.'

Bad results always mean an increase in pressure for managers and some of the people who brought him to the club are thought to be questioning the move. Rumours abound that Cottee has fallen out with one of his best players, Darren Currie.

But the winger and nephew of former England star Tony Currie claims things are simpler than some might think. He said: 'I have been left out a few times and have not been happy about that, but I would not say I have fallen out with the manager.

'The change of manager has obviously affected everyone this season but what has happened is not necessarily down to him, it is the players' fault as well.

'As a team, we have not performed - but I think Cottee has got the character and the resolve to go on and make things better for us.'

A couple of wins should be enough to ensure Barnet's League survival this term and give the club time to work out what went wrong.

It would also make it easier for Still to return full-time to the director of football role he was enjoying before.

Still said: 'Tony asked me to help him out a little more and I have done that. I have told him a few things that I thought were right or wrong but he makes the decisions himself.