Has Pearson gone West ?

[LanguedocFox]

Pearson's on the radio again today I believe - which suggests to me he's starting to more pro-actively toute for work (the soundbites put up,on the BBC sport website were quite interesting as well).

 

Where are these?

[MC Prussian]

Where are these?

 

Weren't they the quotes during Saturday's matchday ticker?

[Raw Dykes]

There is no doubt Gillies is the best. Took us to four domestic cup finals, winning one, while also nearly winning the league in '63 (if it wasn't for those four or five consecutive defeats). Lost in the FA Cup final that year too. How people over look this is beyond me.

 

Of course there is doubt. As good as we were then, all he added to our trophy cabinet was one league cup. O'Neill got double that, and Pearson got us two league titles and had the best win ratio.

[4everfox]

1. Gillies

2. O'Neill

3. Bloomfield

4. Pearson

5. Ranieri

I'm writing this is as a 27 year old so I have only witnessed three of those eras unfortunately. I know our history and this is the way I look at it.

6th, 7th and 8th are probably Wallace, Little and Adams in no particular order.

If we finish in the top four Ranieri will shoot into third place.

[Countryfox]

1. Gillies

2. O'Neill

3. Bloomfield

4. Pearson

5. Ranieri

I'm writing this is as a 27 year old so I have only witnessed three of those eras unfortunately. I know our history and this is the way I look at it.

I wonder where the Don will be in a few years time ..... Third ? Second ? .... Hopefully higher !

[inckley fox]

1. Gillies

2. O'Neill

3. Bloomfield

4. Pearson

5. Ranieri

I'm writing this is as a 27 year old so I have only witnessed three of those eras unfortunately. I know our history and this is the way I look at it.

6th, 7th and 8th are probably Wallace, Little and Adams in no particular order.

If we finish in the top four Ranieri will shoot into third place.

 

I don't know if you're only referring to post-war, but if you go pre-war there's Hodge and Orr.

 

Interestingly, it was Hodge who did the team building and won the promotion, Orr who got us to 2nd and 3rd, but Hodge was the one who went down as the great manager among fans. Depending on how well things go for Ranieri, I wonder whether we'll apply a similar logic someday to our re-evaluation.

 

I'm also not sure where Milne has gone in this, who got us promoted, kept us up for three seasons and made a profit in his dealings. He has to be worth a place on the list, as does Halliday who achieved similar things and set the foundations for Gillies.

 

Wallace, Little and Adams are curious ones. All three defied expectations at one point in time, but it's hard to say to what extent they left the club in a better state than they found it. Wallace had a younger, better team than the one he inherited but when he took over in, what?, 78 we were recently relegated, when he left in 82 we'd just finished 8th in the second tier. We were on our way to relegation when Little left and made it practically certain. Adams was an integral part of the relegation under Bassett, bounced back with the side he'd inherited but then failed to forge a side on a shoestring and left us mid-table in the second tier. Three years later not a single member of his squad was left at the club.

 

As for Gillies, I've explained why I think it's a very cloudy issue as to whether or not he'd edge O'Neill. The argument in his favour is a very rickety one. I'd have thought something like O'Neill-Gillies-Bloomfield-Pearson-Hodge-Orr-Milne-Halliday, followed by any two from Wallace-Little-Adams-O'Farrell, as a sort of top ten. I'd have to give it a lot more thought than that, admittedly.

[DJ Barry Hammond]

In terms of rating our 'best managers' it'd be interesting to compile a list of our worst ones (will need a bigger list) and see where their history fits in without great ones.

That way, if our greats directly proceeded a shower of shit (like Pearson a couple of times), maybe their efforts should be upgraded.

In terms of Claudio, I'm cautious to not go over board yet, even though I will concede he's done a fine job at present, because I remember reading in reviews when he was appointed that in previous jobs he'd have a great 6-12 months but then things dropped off.

It's key to remember, even Peter Taylor had us going well at one point!

[RonnieTodger]

What is everyone's obsession with PR? He's a football manager, not doing a comeback arena tour. There is a weird unwillingness to appreciate, just what a fantastic thing he's been for this club. We could've easily been a Sheffield Wednesday, Forest, Leeds or even a Sheffield United just languishing in League One or being thrilled about coming 12th in the Championship. Get over yourselves.

[SpacedX]

1. Gillies

2. O'Neill

3. Bloomfield

4. Pearson

5. Ranieri

I'm writing this is as a 27 year old so I have only witnessed three of those eras unfortunately. I know our history and this is the way I look at it.

6th, 7th and 8th are probably Wallace, Little and Adams in no particular order.

If we finish in the top four Ranieri will shoot into third place.

All very subjective, but I would be inclined to place Gordon Milne above Little and Adams.

[Fox92]

What is everyone's obsession with PR? He's a football manager, not doing a comeback arena tour. There is a weird unwillingness to appreciate, just what a fantastic thing he's been for this club. We could've easily been a Sheffield Wednesday, Forest, Leeds or even a Sheffield United just languishing in League One or being thrilled about coming 12th in the Championship. Get over yourselves.

 

I think these people who don't appreciate what Pearson did he have got to hold something against him personally. Any other fanbase would be 100% behind a man that guided us to two League titles, two play off semi-finals and turned the club around financially twice. He won League One upon walking into a shite squad (not promoted - we actually smashed the league) - ask Sheffield Wednesday, Southampton, Sheffield United, Nottingham Forest, Leeds, Swindon etc where they finished after relegation from the Championship...

[Julian Joachim Jr Shabadoo]

Of course there is doubt. As good as we were then, all he added to our trophy cabinet was one league cup. O'Neill got double that, and Pearson got us two league titles and had the best win ratio.

 

 

You've got to allow for Fox92's rule though "if it's from the days of black and white, it's better than the modern era"

[Fox92]

You've got to allow for Fox92's rule though "if it's from the days of black and white, it's better than the modern era"

 

We all have different opinions and my opinion is that Gilles, having taken us to four domestic cup finals, and nearly winning the league too, is the greatest manager we've had. Just because we experienced the O'Neill era, which in itself was really special, doesn't ride over something achieved in the 60's. We played in three FA Cups finals ffs, two of them managed by Gilles.

[Julian Joachim Jr Shabadoo]

Yeah but didn't win any of them. Villa reached the FA Cup final last season and got walloped, doesn't really mean much if you don't win the final

 

O'Neill got us promoted to the Prem and kept us there with top half finishes, won 2 League Cups and got us to another final.

Pearson got us Champions of League 1 at first asking, got us into the playoffs and later tore the shit out the Championship, then kept us in the Prem against the odds.

 

You can't say there's no doubt Matt Gillies was our best manager ever. I'm sure he was one of the best, possibly the best - but there is doubt given what MON and Pearson achieved

 

And if Ranieri gets us a top 4 finish, he'll have to be considered. If we somehow win the league, then I'd say there is no doubt he is the best manager we've ever had

[Fox92]

Well obviously if we win the league Renieri would have to be considered the greatest because we've never won the top flight before.

[Julian Joachim Jr Shabadoo]

I didn't say "considered" I said there'd be no doubt  

[Koke]

It's a shame we parted ways with Pearson in 2010. We wasted time with Sousa and Sven. We'd probably been in the Premier League 2 years earlier had he not gone to Hull. And when he came back he had to spend time getting rid of of some of the deadwood brought in by Sven.

As others have said, recruitment was phenomenal. Most players we signed made a positive contribution to the club, from Michael Morrison to Riyad Mahrez. Even forgotten men like Dany N'Guessan and Nobby Solano were decent squad fillers who did a job for us.

We were utter garbage for years before he came. Transformed the club from a third tier mess and left as a thriving Premier League club.

[Julian Joachim Jr Shabadoo]

It's a shame we parted ways with Pearson in 2010. We wasted time with Sousa and Sven. We'd probably been in the Premier League 2 years earlier had he not gone to Hull. And when he came back he had to spend time getting rid of of some of the deadwood brought in by Sven.

As others have said, recruitment was phenomenal. Most players we signed made a positive contribution to the club, from Michael Morrison to Riyad Mahrez. Even forgotten men like Dany N'Guessan and Nobby Solano were decent squad fillers who did a job for us.

We were utter garbage for years before he came. Transformed the club from a third tier mess and left as a thriving Premier League club.

 

 

Although I agree with Sousa and Sven being a huge backwards step, were it not for the complete series of events leading up to where we are now, there's a very good chance that had anything been different we wouldn't be at the top of the league now (near enough) with Ranieri in charge

 

Maybe everything happened for a reason!

[4everfox]

I don't know if you're only referring to post-war, but if you go pre-war there's Hodge and Orr.

Interestingly, it was Hodge who did the team building and won the promotion, Orr who got us to 2nd and 3rd, but Hodge was the one who went down as the great manager among fans. Depending on how well things go for Ranieri, I wonder whether we'll apply a similar logic someday to our re-evaluation.

I'm also not sure where Milne has gone in this, who got us promoted, kept us up for three seasons and made a profit in his dealings. He has to be worth a place on the list, as does Halliday who achieved similar things and set the foundations for Gillies.

Wallace, Little and Adams are curious ones. All three defied expectations at one point in time, but it's hard to say to what extent they left the club in a better state than they found it. Wallace had a younger, better team than the one he inherited but when he took over in, what?, 78 we were recently relegated, when he left in 82 we'd just finished 8th in the second tier. We were on our way to relegation when Little left and made it practically certain. Adams was an integral part of the relegation under Bassett, bounced back with the side he'd inherited but then failed to forge a side on a shoestring and left us mid-table in the second tier. Three years later not a single member of his squad was left at the club.

As for Gillies, I've explained why I think it's a very cloudy issue as to whether or not he'd edge O'Neill. The argument in his favour is a very rickety one. I'd have thought something like O'Neill-Gillies-Bloomfield-Pearson-Hodge-Orr-Milne-Halliday, followed by any two from Wallace-Little-Adams-O'Farrell, as a sort of top ten. I'd have to give it a lot more thought than that, admittedly.

Oops forgot about Milne in particular. Great post by the way.

[Manwell Pablo]

Your opinion.

 

Matt Giles was a great manager just because you probably weren't alive to see it doesn't mean you should over look him, I certainly don't and I wasn't.

[Manwell Pablo]

Yeah but didn't win any of them. Villa reached the FA Cup final last season and got walloped, doesn't really mean much if you don't win the final

 

O'Neill got us promoted to the Prem and kept us there with top half finishes, won 2 League Cups and got us to another final.

Pearson got us Champions of League 1 at first asking, got us into the playoffs and later tore the shit out the Championship, then kept us in the Prem against the odds.

 

You can't say there's no doubt Matt Gillies was our best manager ever. I'm sure he was one of the best, possibly the best - but there is doubt given what MON and Pearson achieved

 

And if Ranieri gets us a top 4 finish, he'll have to be considered. If we somehow win the league, then I'd say there is no doubt he is the best manager we've ever had

 

Top four finish? No good finishing second according to you.

[Raw Dykes]

Top four finish? No good finishing second according to you.

 

Finishing top 4 in the PL is a much, much bigger achievement than FA Cup runner up.

 

You can get to the FA Cup final with a lucky streak of 5 matches, which may well include games against clubs way down the leagues.

 

There's really no way you can finish top 4 of the top flight by chance - it's 38 matches against the best 19 clubs in the country.

[Manwell Pablo]

Finishing top 4 in the PL is a much, much bigger achievement than FA Cup runner up.

 

You can get to the FA Cup final with a lucky streak of 5 matches, which may well include games against clubs way down the leagues.

 

There's really no way you can finish top 4 of the top flight by chance - it's 38 matches against the best 19 clubs in the country.

 

Well ok then......but Matt Gilles did that as well.

 

Really not a debate.

[Fox92]

Finishing top 4 in the PL is a much, much bigger achievement than FA Cup runner up.

 

You can get to the FA Cup final with a lucky streak of 5 matches, which may well include games against clubs way down the leagues.

 

There's really no way you can finish top 4 of the top flight by chance - it's 38 matches against the best 19 clubs in the country.

 

Gillies did finish top four. (4th I think?). We were top two for a long time right untill the end of the season. We could have done the double that year.

[Manwell Pablo]

He even relegated Forest. What more do you lot want?

[kimsalabim]

Why is this in the Leicester City forum?

It's the manager who got us up through two divisions and kept us in the Premier League. Recently. That's why it is in the Leicester City forum.