The Nigel Pearson interview: LCFC boss on what has been a rollercoaster season – Part 1 & 2

[davieG]

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  A glum Nigel Pearson and City players after their defeat to Manchester United

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  City boss Nigel Pearson after the draw at Sunderland secured City’s Premier League safety

 

As Nigel Pearson leans back in one of the many large black leather sofas in his office at the King Power Stadium, it is probably the first time in a long while he has been able to relax.

It has been a tension-filled, incident-packed rollercoaster of a first campaign back in the top echelon of English football for his Leicester City side.

So, I ask him to describe his emotions after his team produced a remarkable comeback to secure another season in the Premier League, and the overwhelming sensation he exudes is that of sheer relief.

Even now, when we meet in his office, which resembles an exclusive airport departure lounge, complete with mini bar, 48 hours after City's crucial 0-0 draw at Sunderland ensured survival, Pearson has not fully reflected on how his side have fought back from being bottom of the league for five months and seven points adrift of safety to pull off the greatest of escapes with a game still to go.

 

 

We found ourselves in a really difficult situation, not one we wanted to be in," says Pearson.

"Before the season started we felt we could have a bit more of an even season.

"On reflection, I know we haven't always been sparkling during the season but we have always been in games, which is a very important factor. That has always kept us in contact.

"It is quite an extraordinary end to the season because, from where we were in early April to now finding ourselves safe with one game to go, is quite remarkable really.

"To finish the season in the way we have does a number of things, but it certainly gives us confidence looking forward."

When asked about his achievement this season, Pearson is quick to correct me.

"People have asked me numerous times about what I have achieved and I don't really see it like that," he says.

"I am the manager and I am part of it. Managers can only be successful when those around him are good and the players are on side and working hard.

"Although I am the manager of the club, I can only have success if everyone else is successful. That is one of the main things of being involved in team sports."

It is this response which probably explains why Pearson commands so much loyalty from his players and why they were able to dig deep to salvage a season that had looked to be going completely pear-shaped leading up to Christmas.

There have been many bumps along the road to Premier League survival, mostly involving Pearson himself, but the City boss was full of praise for how his players coped, and even admits those moments could have contributed to the fightback.

"The players take an awful lot of credit, along with the staff, for keeping level heads and keeping a lid on what maybe was going on outside our four walls," he says.

"We have to deal with quite a bit of negative press from time to time, but in some ways to have that bit of a siege mentality doesn't do any harm either.

"I will need a bit more time to reflect on this season in more detail, but I know we have players who are capable of competing at this level.

"I know we have a squad who have a season's experience of Premier League football and have shown the ability to learn throughout the season. That is important.

"I am sure most people would have written us off, and it has tested our resolve and belief, but I can honestly say throughout the whole of the season I have never smelled fear within the camp.

"I have never gone in on the morning and while I have seen disappointed faces, and I have been disappointed myself from time to time, I have never seen a group of players who stopped believing in their ability to turn the season around.

"I think that speaks volumes of how the players are as a group of people.

"On top of that, we have players who are very capable at this level and all those things together gave us a chance, and we have been able to take that chance.

"I am not saying we want to be in this situation again. We really were in a very tight hole, but we were able to get out because we have been good enough. That is important."

It has been a steady progression for City ever since Pearson first joined the club in 2008 following their relegation to League One.

The upward curves has included two league titles and now a successful fight for Premier League survival, and Pearson believes the foundations the club now has in place can help sustain that progress.

"We remain a club which has an exceptionally good foundation," he says.

"We have owners who remain very supportive of what, in the football aspect, we are trying to do.

"It is a football club that is another year further on than we were this time last year. That is important.

"What people sometimes have to understand is the development of a football club, which you try to continue on a pathway, is always difficult when you have a season which hinges on one, two, three or four key moments.

"So it is hard to quantify at this stage the magnitude of saving our status.

"I can understand when people may have started to lose patience this year.

"People will always have opinions on how the team is playing and the manager. They are entitled to their opinions.

"I can honestly say that we work very hard to try to improve year on year, and we will continue to do so."

It appears he won't allow himself to relax for too long.

Read more: http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Nigel-Pearson-interview-Leicester-City-boss/story-26532366-detail/story.html#ixzz3afxyT3hk 
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[cc_star]

As Nigel Pearson leans back in one of the many large black leather sofas in his office at the King Power Stadium, it is probably the first time in a long while he has been able to relax.

It has been a tension-filled, incident-packed rollercoaster of a first campaign back in the top echelon of English football for his Leicester City side.

So, I ask him to describe his emotions after his team produced a remarkable comeback to secure another season in the Premier League, and the overwhelming sensation he exudes is that of sheer relief.

Even now, when we meet in his office, which resembles an exclusive airport departure lounge, complete with mini bar, 48 hours after City's crucial 0-0 draw at Sunderland ensured survival, Pearson has not fully reflected on how his side have fought back from being bottom of the league for five months and seven points adrift of safety to pull off the greatest of escapes with a game still to go.

 

 

We found ourselves in a really difficult situation, not one we wanted to be in," says Pearson.

"Before the season started we felt we could have a bit more of an even season.

"On reflection, I know we haven't always been sparkling during the season but we have always been in games, which is a very important factor. That has always kept us in contact.

"It is quite an extraordinary end to the season because, from where we were in early April to now finding ourselves safe with one game to go, is quite remarkable really.

"To finish the season in the way we have does a number of things, but it certainly gives us confidence looking forward."

When asked about his achievement this season, Pearson is quick to correct me.

"People have asked me numerous times about what I have achieved and I don't really see it like that," he says.

"I am the manager and I am part of it. Managers can only be successful when those around him are good and the players are on side and working hard.

"Although I am the manager of the club, I can only have success if everyone else is successful. That is one of the main things of being involved in team sports."

It is this response which probably explains why Pearson commands so much loyalty from his players and why they were able to dig deep to salvage a season that had looked to be going completely pear-shaped leading up to Christmas.

There have been many bumps along the road to Premier League survival, mostly involving Pearson himself, but the City boss was full of praise for how his players coped, and even admits those moments could have contributed to the fightback.

"The players take an awful lot of credit, along with the staff, for keeping level heads and keeping a lid on what maybe was going on outside our four walls," he says.

"We have to deal with quite a bit of negative press from time to time, but in some ways to have that bit of a siege mentality doesn't do any harm either.

"I will need a bit more time to reflect on this season in more detail, but I know we have players who are capable of competing at this level.

"I know we have a squad who have a season's experience of Premier League football and have shown the ability to learn throughout the season. That is important.

"I am sure most people would have written us off, and it has tested our resolve and belief, but I can honestly say throughout the whole of the season I have never smelled fear within the camp.

"I have never gone in on the morning and while I have seen disappointed faces, and I have been disappointed myself from time to time, I have never seen a group of players who stopped believing in their ability to turn the season around.

"I think that speaks volumes of how the players are as a group of people.

"On top of that, we have players who are very capable at this level and all those things together gave us a chance, and we have been able to take that chance.

"I am not saying we want to be in this situation again. We really were in a very tight hole, but we were able to get out because we have been good enough. That is important."

It has been a steady progression for City ever since Pearson first joined the club in 2008 following their relegation to League One.

The upward curves has included two league titles and now a successful fight for Premier League survival, and Pearson believes the foundations the club now has in place can help sustain that progress.

"We remain a club which has an exceptionally good foundation," he says.

"We have owners who remain very supportive of what, in the football aspect, we are trying to do.

"It is a football club that is another year further on than we were this time last year. That is important.

"What people sometimes have to understand is the development of a football club, which you try to continue on a pathway, is always difficult when you have a season which hinges on one, two, three or four key moments.

"So it is hard to quantify at this stage the magnitude of saving our status.

"I can understand when people may have started to lose patience this year.

"People will always have opinions on how the team is playing and the manager. They are entitled to their opinions.

"I can honestly say that we work very hard to try to improve year on year, and we will continue to do so."

It appears he won't allow himself to relax for too long.

 

 

 

Typical Pearson!!!

[Foxymcoxy]

 

 

"We have owners who remain very supportive of what, in the football aspect, we are trying to do.

"It is a football club that is another year further on than we were this time last year. That is important.

"What people sometimes have to understand is the development of a football club, which you try to continue on a pathway, is always difficult when you have a season which hinges on one, two, three or four key moments.

"So it is hard to quantify at this stage the magnitude of saving our status.

"I can understand when people may have started to lose patience this year.

"People will always have opinions on how the team is playing and the manager. They are entitled to their opinions.

"I can honestly say that we work very hard to try to improve year on year, and we will continue to do so."

 

 

I remember people speculating that NP would leave this summer even if we stay up because of the whole sacking incident meaning he doesn't trust them any more or something. But this seems to me like he still has a lot of respect for the owners and that he is planning for next year. So no worries there. 

[yorkie1999]

I remember people speculating that NP would leave this summer even if we stay up because of the whole sacking incident meaning he doesn't trust them any more or something. But this seems to me like he still has a lot of respect for the owners and that he is planning for next year. So no worries there. 

It will be interesting to know what really went on with the "apparent sacking" incident (which is how sky have been describing it just lately) Maybe someone in the club is just shit stirring and rang the press up, and from reading that Richard Keys article it seems someone has it in for him.

[lgfualol]

Dont leave us Nige

[AyewJoking]

doubt the players would have dug so deep if they knew Pearson was walking at the end of the season.

[Danizen]

We probably won't find out exactly what happened until he retires and writes a book.

[davieG]

The Nigel Pearson interview – Part Two: Leicester City's summer transfer plans

 

 

Following their nerve-shredding great escape, the target for Leicester City next season is to take the next step into an established Premier League outfit.

After a remarkable run of form to secure another season in the top flight, manager Nigel Pearson can now throw away his worst-case scenario plan and implement Plan A – how to make City even better.

To that end, this summer's recruitment will be key and it could be a busy time for Pearson and director of football Jon Rudkin.

Ten players are out of contract in June – Esteban Cambiasso, Marcin Wasilewski, Matt Upson, Dean Hammond, Gary Taylor-Fletcher, Paul Gallagher, Anthony Knockaert, Paul Konchesky, Conrad Logan and Zoumana Bakayogo.

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Offers will be made to those Pearson wishes to keep, Cambiasso being the obvious one to secure.

There will be the fight to keep players important to the squad as well, such as keeper Kasper Schmeichel, who is already the subject of transfer speculation.

Then there will be the recruitment drive, and Pearson says that process has already begun.

He is expecting a much more straightforward summer than last year, when the futures of a large number of his squad and his staff, including his own contract, had to be sorted out.

"There will always be changes," said Pearson.

"Some players come to the end of their contracts and won't be here with us next season and others will, and we will try to add. That never really changes.

"Last year was a difficult end of season because we had so many players and staff out of contract. We weren't sure with Financial Fair Play either. There were lots of things to consider in terms of how the club wanted to move forward.

"Consequently, the Championship winter transfer window was one we didn't do a lot of business in, and we managed to keep hold of our players knowing they would be out of contract. It was a gamble we had to take.

"This year we are in a position where we can make decisions earlier.

"This window doesn't take us by surprise, but for several years we have had to plan for different scenarios. When we were in the Championship, we had to plan for two scenarios. Last year was very difficult because it was complicated even more.

"This year we have a pretty clear idea on where and how we want to do business, but once again it is never that straightforward.

"We will try to come to agreements with those players who are running out of contracts, but also add to the squad."

Making the loan of defender Robert Huth permanent from Stoke will be something City are expected to try to do.

City will also be linked with dozens of other rumoured targets, but don't expect Pearson to be providing a narrative of the club's progress during the transfer window.

Pearson has a clear policy when it comes to transfer speculation, and while other managers may discuss possible deals, he says he will never change his approach.

However, he told City fans not to confuse his silence with an inactivity in the transfer market this summer.

No news does not necessarily mean bad news.

"The half-dozen or so stories I have been made aware of so far, have been news to me," he said. "You have to be aware that at this stage of the season people will start speculating.

"A lot of it will be driven by people who have a vested interest in getting those stories into the public domain.

"It is healthy for our fans to be discussing who they would like and how they would fit in to what we have, but ultimately the key discussion will be between myself and our hierarchy in terms of how we identify targets and whether we can make those deals happen.

"There have been lots of times where we have missed out on lots of players who we have tried very hard to get in.

"Some of them were very high-profile.

"But because I choose not to go public, that doesn't mean we are not trying to do business.

"Last year was a very good example of that.

"I think there will be a number of fans wondering what is happening. Well, we are working very hard to make things happen. Sometimes they don't happen.

"There are managers out there who believe in throwing names around to buy them time with the fans.

"I don't believe in doing that. That is not how I work."

Read more: http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Nigel-Pearson-interview-ndash-Leicester-City-s/story-26541197-detail/story.html#ixzz3alK0DAQT 
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