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davieG

Nigel Pearson backs Brendan Rodgers to deliver European football and expects Ben Chilwell stay

By davieG, in Leicester City Forum

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davieG

davieG

Posted
Posted

https://talksport.com/football/550298/leicester-city-news-nigel-pearson-backs-brendan-rodgers-to-deliver-european-football-and-expects-ben-chilwell-stay-amid-transfer-rumours/

 

The former Foxes boss believes a top six finish isn't too far from being a reality under their current manager

By Bradley Hayden

29th May 2019, 5:07 pm

Nigel Pearson believes Leicester City are more than capable of challenging for a top six spot in the Premier League under Brendan Rodgers next season.

Former Foxes boss Pearson enjoyed two spells in charge at the King Power Stadium and has recently returned to England after a stint in the Belgium second division with OH Leuven, where he linked up once again with the Srivaddhanaprabha family, who own both clubs.

 

With rising stars in James Maddison, Harvey Barnes, Ben Chilwell, Harry Maguire and of course the pace of Jamie Vardy in the squad, Leicester finished the season strongly under Rodgers, who left Celtic in February to succeed Claude Puel.

A ninth-place finish coupled with Manchester United’s poor form and question marks about both Chelsea as well as Arsenal’s capabilities has left Foxes fans dreaming of a potential top six challenge next season, something which Pearson thinks is not out of the question.

Speaking to talkSPORT last week, the 55-year-old said: “I think Brendan is a really good appointment for the football club. I’m sure they will continue to evolve the squad.

“There is a realistic chance for sure of them achieving the goal of the top six and European football for the following year. I think that’s something he and the club will be very transparent about and I think they’ve got a very good chance.”

 

Pearson’s name is certainly etched in Leicester folklore having played an important role in the club’s success on the pitch in recent years.

It was the former Middlesbrough and Sheffield Wednesday defender, of course, who, firstly, guided the club to the League One title, before returning to the King Power, following a short stint in charge of Hull City, to complete the job, helping the Foxes win the Championship in 2014.

If two promotions weren’t enough, the Foxes then pulled off the great escape by securing Premier League safety despite looking down and out at Christmas, with many crediting the 55-year-old for putting the building blocks in place for the incredible title push which took place the following year.

One player Pearson knows well from his time at Leicester is left-back Chilwell, who has now established himself as England’s first choice left-back following a strong campaign with the East Midlands side.

 

That form has led to reported interest from Manchester City, but Pearson believes Leicester can keep hold of the 22-year-old starlet.

“He was a player who, even in my time there, there were links with really big clubs being interested in him,” Pearson explained.

“It’s a good example of a player getting playing opportunities at a club who have, subsequently, had incredible success. Leicester has been a really good place for him to learn his trade and I think now with Brendan being there, the ability for Leicester to compete with top clubs really improves the chances of him (Chilwell) staying there.”

The 55-year-old perhaps earnt a reputation for his fiery character with Leicester following public spats with a reporter and a Foxes supporter as well as a touchline incident with Crystal Palace’s James McArthur.

 

But in this interview, Pearson was a calm, thoughtful and an engaging character who seems not only comfortable in himself, but his surroundings, too.

He has renewed vigour after an ‘enjoyable’ spell in charge of OH Leuven and hasn’t ruled out managing abroad again either. 

“I really enjoyed my experience over there,” he explained.

“No manager enjoys being sacked or having a season where results don’t go the way you want. The first season was particularly enjoyable. We just missed out on promotion. We had a very positive year.

“This year has been difficult, but the overall experience was enjoyable. I loved living abroad. I found that the players had a lot of humility. The format of the league was very difficult to be a success with.

 

Pearson spent four months with OH Leuven, a club also run by the Srivaddhanaprabha family

“The opportunity came along to work there because of the connection with King Power and Khun Vichai, who sadly passed away last year. The opportunity to work with them again was a big drawer. It’s a really good project to take on and I certainly have no regrets.”

Now back in the UK and out of work, Pearson has been linked with various vacancies.

He was reportedly interviewed for the QPR job and has also been linked with Middlesbrough as well as West Bromwich Albion, both clubs which Pearson represented earlier in his career.

The 55-year-old finished his playing career at the Riverside stadium and after retiring, enjoyed a caretaker spell in charge of West Brom, but remained tight lipped on any rumours linking him with either side.

On the Middlesbrough vacancy, he said: “I know the club. I enjoyed four very enjoyable years as a player but that’s a very long time ago now.

 

“It’s a job which would appeal to a lot of people who are currently looking for work. It’s a fantastic football club and I’m sure whoever they decide to take the role moving forward will have the full support of the chairman and it will be a great job for whoever gets the job.”

He added: “West Brom have missed out in the Play Offs and Middlesbrough have just missed out on the Play Offs. They are both clubs with aspirations of getting back to the Premier League. I think both clubs have now got the situation where they need to make an appointment based on who they feel will take the club in the right direction.

“If I’m interested in jobs or not, I’m not someone who normally publicly goes out and talks about it. But clearly, they are both really good football clubs with history, potential and they will be good jobs for whoever gets them.”

 

This weekend, though, Pearson will don his walking boots as he takes on the Three Peaks challenge to raise money for the Welsh Air Ambulance, the University Hospitals of North Midlands Charity and the Wolverhampton and District MS Therapy Centre.

The former Leicester boss will tackle Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon alongside his wife’s sister in law as well as family friend Gareth Challinor, who was previously involved in a motorbike accident whilst racing in Wales.

Pearson said: “My wife’s godson Gareth Challinor was involved in a motorbike accident a couple of years ago on a racing bike. He had some quite severe injuries – he broke his pelvis, hip, arm and was in quite a serious state. He was airlifted from where he was racing in Wales to Stoke University Hospital.

 

“The idea of doing the challenge is to raise some money for the air ambulance and the hospital and the Wolverhampton MS Unit who he visited afterwards which helped with getting oxygen into the blood system to help the healing process.

“We’re trying to raise in excess of £3000 which will be split between the three charities. Already we’ve hit 40% of that so we’re going to try and surpass our limit. It’s an important part of it for a thank you from Gareth and his family.”

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Ric Flair

Ric Flair

Posted
Posted

He is very complimentary about Rodgers, usually he's been polite about the success or bright future of our club but this is now a few interviews he's gone in to more detail than just generic pleasantries about us. Rodgers does really have the utmost respect from fellow coaches/managers on his capabilities.

RoboFox

RoboFox

Posted
Posted

The YouTube chat, the Stringer making amends thing, now this. Wonder why he’s been doing so many interviews recently...

 

Just the charity thing? Angling for more media commitments? Just a bit bored?

Freeman's Wharfer

Freeman's Wharfer

Posted
Posted
19 minutes ago, RoboFox said:

The YouTube chat, the Stringer making amends thing, now this. Wonder why he’s been doing so many interviews recently...

 

Just the charity thing? Angling for more media commitments? Just a bit bored?

He’s got a new publicist.

 

I think there’s probably a recognition that his media persona has somewhat bitten him on the backside when it comes to how other clubs in England and their fans perceive him.

 

Looking for another job and trying to get a bit of good PR no doubt.

Corky

Corky

Posted
Posted
52 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

He is very complimentary about Rodgers, usually he's been polite about the success or bright future of our club but this is now a few interviews he's gone in to more detail than just generic pleasantries about us. Rodgers does really have the utmost respect from fellow coaches/managers on his capabilities.

Time to nick that "How am I doing, boss?" meme from Liverpool with Shankly at the top and replace it with Big Nige.

Permafrost

Permafrost

Posted
Posted

"The format of the league was very difficult to be a success with".

That's him in a nutshell.

 

Finish top or near the top - you could go up.

Finish near the bottom - you may go down.

 

Very difficult Nigel. Struggle to get your head round that and you are not just an idiot, but also somebody who thinks they can pull the wool over people's eyes.

 

The ONLY thing our owners have got wrong, in a really bizarre move, was setting that clown back on again.

But tbf, it's a difficult format that league. Maybe Top and Vichai didn't factor that in.

What the Fuchs?

What the Fuchs?

Posted
Posted
5 minutes ago, Permafrost said:

"The format of the league was very difficult to be a success with".

That's him in a nutshell.

 

Finish top or near the top - you could go up.

Finish near the bottom - you may go down.

 

Very difficult Nigel. Struggle to get your head round that and you are not just an idiot, but also somebody who thinks they can pull the wool over people's eyes.

 

The ONLY thing our owners have got wrong, in a really bizarre move, was setting that clown back on again.

But tbf, it's a difficult format that league. Maybe Top and Vichai didn't factor that in.

Look at the Wikipedia page for the league, it is quite a strange format for an English manager to quickly get to grips with

UpTheLeagueFox

UpTheLeagueFox

Posted
Posted
6 minutes ago, Permafrost said:

The ONLY thing our owners have got wrong, in a really bizarre move, was setting that clown back on again.

You genuinely think Pearson is a clown?

Limited in certain areas, yes.

But his record with us says he's 100% not a clown.

Bluetintedspecs

Bluetintedspecs

Posted
Posted
54 minutes ago, Permafrost said:

"The format of the league was very difficult to be a success with".

That's him in a nutshell.

 

Finish top or near the top - you could go up.

Finish near the bottom - you may go down.

 

Very difficult Nigel. Struggle to get your head round that and you are not just an idiot, but also somebody who thinks they can pull the wool over people's eyes.

 

The ONLY thing our owners have got wrong, in a really bizarre move, was setting that clown back on again.

But tbf, it's a difficult format that league. Maybe Top and Vichai didn't factor that in.

Did NP piss on your chips?

totbl

totbl

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Permafrost said:

"The format of the league was very difficult to be a success with".

That's him in a nutshell.

 

Finish top or near the top - you could go up.

Finish near the bottom - you may go down.

 

Very difficult Nigel. Struggle to get your head round that and you are not just an idiot, but also somebody who thinks they can pull the wool over people's eyes.

 

The ONLY thing our owners have got wrong, in a really bizarre move, was setting that clown back on again.

But tbf, it's a difficult format that league. Maybe Top and Vichai didn't factor that in.

Where to begin. You are absolutely clueless, it is incredible that some can't see what he did for this club. ****ing hell I honestly despair at some of our fans.

murphy

murphy

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, What the Fuchs? said:

Look at the Wikipedia page for the league, it is quite a strange format for an English manager to quickly get to grips with

Pah!  That's such an Ian Stringer thing to say.

 

 

Basingstoke Fox

Basingstoke Fox

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Permafrost said:

"The format of the league was very difficult to be a success with".

That's him in a nutshell.

 

Finish top or near the top - you could go up.

Finish near the bottom - you may go down.

 

Very difficult Nigel. Struggle to get your head round that and you are not just an idiot, but also somebody who thinks they can pull the wool over people's eyes.

 

The ONLY thing our owners have got wrong, in a really bizarre move, was setting that clown back on again.

But tbf, it's a difficult format that league. Maybe Top and Vichai didn't factor that in.

It was you in the west stand vs Liverpool in 2014 wasn't it?

Permafrost

Permafrost

Posted
Posted

So what part of his excuse of how he failed at OH Leuven do you agree with?

 

The format of the league? The ‘difficulty’ of the format? Delusions of grandeur that fella.

 

He very nearly got OHL relegated. They were second favourites for promotion pre-season. You speak to their fans and see what they made of him.

 

Getting us out of League One at the first attempt was the best thing he did. We could have languished there for many years, and for that I will always praise him.

 

But come on, that drivel he’s just come out with is embarrassing and again shines a light on his limitations.

 

Plenty on here just won’t accept it. And so there’s no point debating it, but “Clown” actually doesn’t do it full justice.

”Balloon-head”?

 

 

NeilLCFC

NeilLCFC

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Permafrost said:

"The format of the league was very difficult to be a success with".

That's him in a nutshell.

 

Finish top or near the top - you could go up.

Finish near the bottom - you may go down.

 

Very difficult Nigel. Struggle to get your head round that and you are not just an idiot, but also somebody who thinks they can pull the wool over people's eyes.

 

The ONLY thing our owners have got wrong, in a really bizarre move, was setting that clown back on again.

But tbf, it's a difficult format that league. Maybe Top and Vichai didn't factor that in.

You haven’t got a clue have you mate.

Permafrost

Permafrost

Posted
Posted

Maybe I should clarify, when I say "The ONLY thing our owners have got wrong, in a really bizarre move, was setting that clown back on again.", I am referring to the appointment of him at OH Leuven - (as per the context of my post).

I thought it was, at the very least, a surprise move... and it proved to be almost disastrous.

Thankfully Top sacked him (again) in time and OHL's results picked up and they survived.

To read his excuse re the 'format of the league' is laughable.

Strange team selections and lack of motivation in the players I would suggest as a more factual reason.

 

Clearly it wasn't a wrong decision to set him back on here (Nov 2011).

And as I said above, getting us out of League One at the first attempt was crucial for the club.

 

I stand by 'clown' though. I've heard him called a lot worse so I'm surprised at the venom being thrown my way.

Tielemans63

Tielemans63

Posted
Posted
12 hours ago, Permafrost said:

So what part of his excuse of how he failed at OH Leuven do you agree with?

 

The format of the league? The ‘difficulty’ of the format? Delusions of grandeur that fella.

 

He very nearly got OHL relegated. They were second favourites for promotion pre-season. You speak to their fans and see what they made of him.

 

Getting us out of League One at the first attempt was the best thing he did. We could have languished there for many years, and for that I will always praise him.

 

But come on, that drivel he’s just come out with is embarrassing and again shines a light on his limitations.

 

Plenty on here just won’t accept it. And so there’s no point debating it, but “Clown” actually doesn’t do it full justice.

”Balloon-head”?

 

 

...and winning the championship with a record number of points. And keeping us in the Prem. And creating the infrastructure at the club which has served us very well indeed.

 

But he did say something a bit silly in an interview so all that counts for nothing. The big ballonhead.

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