Jamie Vardy overcame self-doubt thanks to chat with Nigel Pearson

[LCCFox96]

For me, it's the goal in the 0-1 away win at QPR to send us top that season when Vardy really become Leicester's main man. Settling such a big, tight game must have been massive for him following his struggles in the close season. 

58 premier league goals later, he's still our main man. 

[Mark_w]

12 hours ago, The whole world smiles said:

I am a massive Pearson fan but don't think we should be over doing the praise with this. 

99% of other professional managers would have done the same. You have a player signed from non leauge who is rapid and showing glimpses in training and matches that he can be a quality player and he comes to you and says he thinks he's not good enough for this level doesn't take Bill Shankly to realise he needs a pep talk and his confidence boosting. 

I don't know. Any manager can say the right thing, but in terms of the player believing it? I'm sure it helped that Nigel had captained Sheffield Wednesday for much of Jamie Vardy's youth, I think seems to be a similar type of personality, and proved that he meant what he was saying by giving him the opportunity to be our main striker at a point when most would have had Chris Wood ahead of him and some would have been happy enough to see him go out on loan to Preston.

It's one thing saying the right thing, it's another convincing the player that you mean it and knowing which players are worth investing the time in. You only need to look at the reaction to Drinkwater and Vardy starting in that Middlesbrough match thread to know that Nigel was going against popular thinking to place his trust in them that season. He deserves an awful lot of credit for it.

Edited 27 August 2018 by Mark_w

[The whole world smiles]

1 minute ago, Mark_w said:

I don't know. Any manager can say the right thing, but in terms of the player believing it? I'm sure it helped that Nigel had captained Sheffield Wednesday for much of Jamie Vardy's youth, I think seems to be a similar type of personality, and proved that he meant what he was saying by giving him the opportunity to be our main striker at a point when most would have had Chris Wood ahead of him and some would have been happy enough to see him go out on loan to Preston.

It's one thing saying the right thing, it's another convincing the player that you mean it and knowing which players are worth investing the time in. You only need to look at the reaction to Drinkwater and Vardy starting in that Middlesbrough match thread to know that Nigel was going against popular thinking to place his trust in them that season. He deserves an awful lot of credit for it.

That is fair. Well argued.

[davieG]

13 hours ago, The whole world smiles said:

I am a massive Pearson fan but don't think we should be over doing the praise with this. 

99% of other professional managers would have done the same. You have a player signed from non leauge who is rapid and showing glimpses in training and matches that he can be a quality player and he comes to you and says he thinks he's not good enough for this level doesn't take Bill Shankly to realise he needs a pep talk and his confidence boosting. 

Well  it didn't for Muzzy Izzett and Glen Hoddle who was anything but supportive and there have been plenty of players in the past saying they were treated badly by certain Managers so I suspect you 99% is a big exaggeration but either way neither of us can prove it.