Boro fan here - What's your thoughts on Pearson?

[EnglishOxide]

Legend, you've got to give him 2 or 3 years depending on the state of your squad though to get the right players, backroom staff, etc.

 

He takes a very methodical approach, needs full control to do his job, and builds teams full of pace and power, sprinkled with just the right amount of flair (Knockaert/Mahrez) for us.

 

Yes, he's a bit of an arsehole and can be blunt with the media, but tell me a top manager who isn't. By most accounts, players love him and he builds football teams to compete, that's surely all you need.

[Mease]

4 minutes ago, Nickfosse said:

The work of Pearson, Walsh and Shakespeare has been phenomenal for us. 

I'm really not sure that I'd want him on in his own. I fear he may be a bit McCartney without Lennon and Harrison, and nobody wants another frog chorus from the man who gave us yesterday and hey Jude. 

Bom Bom Bom ?

[oxtonfox]

Nigel Pearson will be able to take you back up but it may take a 2 seasons or so because he does things his way. Given that he will build you up again from the bottom-up as it were. Similar to what he did with Leicester after the Sven years.  I wonder if he takes the Boro job whether he'll get Shakey back if King Power don't offer him the Leicester job permanently?

[Stadt]

I'd only ever known us to be shit, slowly descending into championship mediocrity. Eventually we got relegated after having one too many shit managers and a few too many shit players. Then Nigel Pearson the lord and saviour got us promoted out of league one at the first attempt whilst building a squad of determined and hardworking players that wanted to be here. Then we were a penalty shootout from a play off final after being promoted with a squad that had no business overachieving so much.

 

Pearson left for Hull that summer as he didn't feel wanted at the club and the Thais took over and appointed Sousa.

 

Then he came back after Sven abd Sousa spent a shitload of money and inexplicably managed to dismantle all of the good work done by NP, the squad was full of overpaid egos and a bunch of cúnts which had resulted in underachievement. 

 

We we had difficulty with FFP too so Pearson had to rebuild the squad and cut our cloth yet he still managed to sign a lot of our title winning squad - Vardy, Drinkwater, Matty James, De Laet and Morgan came in and eventually we got promoted after playoff heartbreak once again.

 

The top flight pushed him to his limits but as a result of the team spirit and a change in system we pulled off the great escape.

 

I don't think he's the same manager without Shakespeare and Walsh but if the background team are any good he'll be brilliant for you. Gibson seems like a fantastic chairman to have so I'd imagine you'll be in the hunt next season. 

[AKCJ]

16 minutes ago, Orrere said:

All this poor tactician stuff isn't filling me with confidence haha.

 

Also our fans seem to associate him with being a bad tempered loose cannon who causes fights in the dressing room etc. Any truth in this?

Poor tactician was probably a bit critical of me but I don't think he had the capability to take us to a top 10 side on a consistent basis because his plan B really is just hoofing it.

 

I think if he gets one or two signings in then he will get you firing. One thing you need to accept with Pearson is that he might not get it right instantly but he undoubtedly will if  he's allowed to sign the players he wants and if he's given the time to get them playing to his style.

 

 

[fleckneymike]

He's not cheap. The vast majority of what he does is structural stuff behind the scenes; sports science; extensive scouting network etc. so you're not just hiring him. 

 

Not necessarily a quick fix (see us second time around and Derby). 

 

He will leave you in a much better place (off the pitch) than he found you. 

 

Terrible with the media and this may cause unwanted distractions. 

 

Slight issue is Walsh is at Everton and Shakespeare is here. Whether he can assemble a similarly cohesive back room from scratch remains to be seen. 

[Danny Clender]

He would make the most sense to manage your team.

He's the best English manager in the world, Howe? Allardyce? yeah whatever, get over it. 

He only failed with us because the rest is history and Derby because their Chairman is candy crushed. 

His tactics are, allegedly, his biggest weakness.

I will be very jealous of your situation if he does join.

And when Shakespeare gets the sack, you'll have it all. 

Welcome back to the premiership, if it happens.

Is that what you wanted?

[Finnegan]

To be honest, we have no idea what Pearson would be like for you. You'd be better off asking a Derby fan, as much as some of Pearson's biggest fans on here would deny that.

 

The reason I say that is that we never had Pearson the individual, we had Pearson the third of a three man team. 

 

I think Walsh, Pearson and Shakespeare are the perfect combination to take over a team like Boro, rebuild, get you ready for another push on promotion and probably keep you up.

 

But you're not going to get all three. Pearson has very little experience managing without his two wingmen.

 

What we always knew about Pearson was twofold. First, that he's a builder of good squads. Second, that he's great at bonding a dressing room.

 

Since his departure, we've learned that Walsh was primarily the man for recruitment and most recently we've learned that Shakespeare was the man that kept the dressing room ticking. It makes you wonder if, actually, Nigel was the least necessary of the three and the fact that Ranieri came in and took us to whole new heights with the other two in place probably points to an answer.

 

Still, Pearson clearly still understands the merits of having the right people around, embracing modern ideas like sports science and nutrition, if he can find another good scout to bring in some gems and get the squad to buy in to his work ethic then who knows? Best of luck to you really.

[Guest CityFan 06]

Pearson had real success with us, fundamental in where we are now. He got us straight out of League One in 2008/09 when we were relegated the season prior.

 

We had a few playoffs under him in the Championship, before winning the league in 2013/14. He assembled a very good team, who had the right mentality/togetherness with enough quality there too. 

 

I've touted Pearson as a good fit for Middlesbrough, and I think he could be good for a lot of promotion hopeful sides in the Championship before he's proven he can do it. Have to say I am surprised Middlesbrough were relegated this season, thought you invested well and you'd stay up.

[matty98]

The best manager we've ever had. Most Leicester players would tell you he's the best manager they're ever worked for. Him not being good tactically is an absolute myth. Pretty sure under Pearson we never lost by more than 2 goals. He sets his teams up very well and will always be competitive in every game. Given time and backing he will improve your club every season. 

[fazzyfox]

There were two periods under him that still can't  be explained in context with what we achieved afterwards and before. Firstly the season where all was looking good for a promotion challenge then an awful run of results with only a late rally rescuing a play off place (the infamous Twatford defeat) and secondly the first 2/3 of the great escape season, changing the team week in week out, trying out a disastrous midfield diamond, talent left in the stands and on the bench before acquiring Huth and rumoured to be aided by the Cambiasso masterplan we suddenly became unbeatable. The worrying thing was that both runs went on and on with it taking a long time for anything he tried to redress the situation to actually work.

 

His behaviour and attitude is tolerable in my book, the minute he ripped the p*** out of journalists (and he was right, if that room of journalists were unaware that we'd been criticised earlier that season they had indeed had their heads in the sand) he was always going to be attacked by them at every opportunity. Wrestling with an opponent was strange but the player had entered his technical area (albeit accidentally) and wasn't about to apologise for the collision so hey why not teach him some respect.

 

Style wise in the championship he bravely had two wingers and two centre forwards home and away whilst at the end of his time he'd gone to three at the back with wing backs. The football was on the whole very attractive but it helped having lively wingers like Mahrez, Dyer and Knockaert with Vardy and Nugent up front. One of the key moments of his second spell was when he identified that he wanted a defending defender (Morgan) instead of a loose cannon (Bamba) but to be fair I don't think that's been your problem. 

 

[sylofox]

25 minutes ago, Mease said:

I am amazed Boro went down, you actually have the foundations of a good team. I don't hear of much discontent in your dressing room so I think he could come in and make a positive impact.

 

If your asking if you have Pearson in, absolutely yes. He is made for the Championship and will get the best out of people. Could do with being a little more thoughtful with the media it's part of his job he needs to accept. The guy you see on the TV is not the guy in the training ground. I would expect he may have learned a few lessons.

 

Many this end would be happy him coming back here.

 

Get him in buddy.

Without a cvnt called Stringer giving him the needle all the time his attitude to the press may change.

20 minutes ago, davieG said:

The tactician stuff is very subjective as he's always been quite limited in his choice of players According to some LCFC fans every manager we've had has been a poor tactician in their time here perhaps with the exception of O'Neal.

 

The dressing room thing is rubbish, if players pull their weight he'll defend them even to the point of taking the flax himself if they under perform.

 

When there was a falling out between him and the local radio guy and he stopped talking to them the players backed him up and joined the ban.

The players still dont talk to local radio two years later.

[Jobyfox]

I wouldn't necessarily say he's tactically poor,  but tactically inflexible. It's 4-4-2 and effort and teamwork his teams are built on.

 

His downsides are that rigidity and his treatment of media relations as a bit of and irritation. You could also say that he doesn't tolerate fools gladly, but more accurately he doesn't tolerate fools at all. People not pulling in the same direction will go and he won't care how unpopular the decision is.

 

I will be forever grateful for what he did at Leicester and, on the face of it, Boro looks like a really good fit. With the right support he will definitely get them back in the PL and restructure the club for the better. 

[Danny Clender]

Ps, If this thread reaches over 30 pages, you should get your answer. 

[Mease]

1 minute ago, sylofox said:

Without a cvnt called Stringer giving him the needle all the time his attitude to the press may change.

The players still dont talk to local radio two years later.

#stringerout

[Nickfosse]

4 minutes ago, sylofox said:

Without a cvnt called Stringer giving him the needle all the time his attitude to the press may change.

The players still dont talk to local radio two years later.

Totally agree. Tabloid journalist working for the BBC 

[Ted Maul]

30 minutes ago, Orrere said:

All this poor tactician stuff isn't filling me with confidence haha.

 

Also our fans seem to associate him with being a bad tempered loose cannon who causes fights in the dressing room etc. Any truth in this?

He's not a bad tactician as such, just has a system and sticks to it- you won't win many games due to him making a bold tactical call, but you should win enough with his system anyway.

 

The only time he will clash with anyone in the dressing room is if someone steps out of line. He's a top bloke if you're on his side.

 

Great championship manager, but I'm not sure what impact not having Walsh and Shakespeare will have.

[Finnegan]

13 minutes ago, matty98 said:

The best manager we've ever had. Most Leicester players would tell you he's the best manager they're ever worked for. Him not being good tactically is an absolute myth. Pretty sure under Pearson we never lost by more than 2 goals. He sets his teams up very well and will always be competitive in every game. Given time and backing he will improve your club every season. 

 

It's not really a myth is it? He was very limited tactically. The fact we were well organised defensively is a different issue.

 

It took him about six months of awful experiments to find the 352 the saved us in the great escape and it was his fault we were down there in the first place.

 

He was really good manager here and I like the man but this forum's refusal to accept some of his faults sometimes is a bit daft.

[FoxyPalace.com]

Good man manager.

 

Terrible with the press.

 

Can fall out with people easily.

 

 

 

 

[lev72]

42 minutes ago, Orrere said:

All this poor tactician stuff isn't filling me with confidence haha.

 

Also our fans seem to associate him with being a bad tempered loose cannon who causes fights in the dressing room etc. Any truth in this?

He fell out with players who were shagging his daughter 

[Sampson]

Absolute hero.

 

Took a rotting club in League One 

who'd done nothing for years and completely revolutionised us and built us into something special.

 

The media stuff and stuff about his personality is rubbish - he just does that to the media in public exactly like Ferguson and Mourinho did to create the "us vs the world" mentality - players and staff who worked with him constantly said he was a top bloke off the pitch and was the best manager they played under.

 

Any Boro fan who doesn't want him is fecking nuts! He'll become a stalwart PL manager in the future, no doubt about it in my mind.

[Fox42]

57 minutes ago, AKCJ said:

Cracking bloke, excellent manager and excellent motivator.

 

But he's a mediocre tactician and has the charisma of a wooden spoon.

Hey, you can have the time of your life with wooden spoons. Don't judge.

[Callabinho]

Top, top man manager...sets the club up properly and rids of any bad eggs...he's yet to be given a fair crack without his team around him...however if we opt not to give Shakey the gaffers post I think he will reunite with Pearson wherever he is! 

[volpeazzurro]

45 minutes ago, Orrere said:

All this poor tactician stuff isn't filling me with confidence haha.

 

Also our fans seem to associate him with being a bad tempered loose cannon who causes fights in the dressing room etc. Any truth in this?

If there were any fights in the dressing room he'd win them! It's a long story but you could do a lot lot worse than have NP at the helm. Just how good he'd be without Shakespeare and Walsh with him I don't know though.

[stripeyfox]

1 hour ago, Orrere said:

Strong rumours that he's getting the job here but none of us can really work the guy out, so wondered what Leicester fans thoughts are of him since you've seen both sides of him.

 

from the outside looking in he romped the championship with a well built squad and there was talk of great team spirit etc.

 

then it all went to pot before he pulled it out the bag again.

 

so what are your thoughts from his time at Leicester? How does he play? What's his relationship like with the players? What where his worst attributes?

 

thanks!

are you an ostrich?