City trio may be different characters but they work brilliantly as a team

[davieG]

Merc

They may work together seamlessly as one unit, but Leicester City's management trio of boss Nigel Pearson and assistants Craig Shakespeare and Steve Walsh are very different characters.

While Pearson is a firm but fair leader, Shakespeare is his loyal lieutenant who loves to be on the training pitch, and Walsh is the head of recruitment, identifying future talent.

Shakespeare admits they do not always see eye to eye on City matters, but said they worked together as a strong and effective team.

"What people probably fail to realise is that the three of us disagree," said Shakespeare, who has worked with Pearson and Walsh since he was recruited by City in June, 2008.

"When we disagree it is really interesting. Nigel might say one thing, Steve says another and I will say something different. But, at the end of the day, Nigel makes the final decision, we all know that.

"We do have differences but, because we have strong opinions, and Nigel values those opinions, it works well.

"We are all our own people. We are different, but ultimately on the football side of it we are all chasing the same goal."

Shakespeare first met Pearson when they were team-mates at Sheffield Wednesday in 1989, but said it was not until they were coaches at West Bromwich Albion that they struck up a close relationship.

"I really enjoyed my time at Wednesday and Nigel was the captain," recalls Shakespeare.

"He had an aura about him as a captain. I never really socialised with him, but he was a captain I looked up to as a colleague.

"Then we went our various ways. He played in cup finals and I played in the lower divisions. Our paths never crossed again until he joined West Brom with Bryan Robson, and I was on the coaching staff.

"We hit it off straight away in terms of our personalities and our coaching methods.

"We got on and kept in touch when he left, which was a big disappointment for me because when he became caretaker there he asked me to assist him.

"We went on a good run and got some good results. It was only Nigel's loyalty to Bryan in a way which stopped him from not only applying for the job.

"He went to Newcastle, then Southampton, but we kept in touch, and when he got the break here at City it was the first time I got the call.

"By that time, I had come to be a good friend of Tony Mowbray's from my time under him at West Brom, but I felt it was the right challenge at the right time."

Shakespeare may have had a history with Pearson, but he admits he had never met Walsh before, although he found it easy to work with him at City.

"That was probably down to Nigel's insight because when you talk about two assistant managers you hear about things don't always work," said Shakespeare.

"But from day one I couldn't have wished for an easier person to get on with than Steve. We have got on like a house on fire."

Pearson stepped up from being an assistant at West Brom and Newcastle United to become a manager in his own right, and Shakespeare admits he may follow suit at some stage in his career. But, for now, he is happy to be coaching and delighted to be back at City.

"I have thought about it but I really enjoy the working relationship I have with Nigel," he said. "I enjoy the role he gives me and, ultimately, if you are happy with what you do that is a big part of it.

"Is the grass greener elsewhere? I don't know. If that day comes then I will know. At the moment I am very happy with the role he has asked me to play.

"It is very good to be back at City. The travelling is a lot easier for a start.

"It was a good journey up to Hull for me, so the family and the dog are getting used to me being back. We have been fighting over the remote controls and who is picking the kids up, and who is taking them to football. Before, I had to leave that to the wife."

[bluearmyfox23]

Good read