There's only one Nigel Pearson!

[AKCJ]

Haha, sorry, had the girlfriend on the phone, got carried her whilst not really listening to her.

Quick summary, yes he makes mistakes, but he gets more right than wrong and we should give him credit for his good decisions and not just continually pick up on every perceived mistake, we can all say what we would have done in hindsight, but Nigel has to make those decisions there and then.

Not every manager gets 100% of his decisions correct, so why do we expect Nigel to.

Finally we should all show our appreciation and sing his name as he has done a hell of lot for this club, probably more than anyone else in the last decade.

Absolutely agree.

Yes he's not perfect, but he wants to be here and suceed and I think he will.

[Col city fan]

Haha, sorry, had the girlfriend on the phone, got carried her whilst not really listening to her.

Quick summary, yes he makes mistakes, but he gets more right than wrong and we should give him credit for his good decisions and not just continually pick up on every perceived mistake, we can all say what we would have done in hindsight, but Nigel has to make those decisions there and then.

Not every manager gets 100% of his decisions correct, so why do we expect Nigel to.

Finally we should all show our appreciation and sing his name as he has done a hell of lot for this club, probably more than anyone else in the last decade.

I guess you epitomise all that I'm trying to say really.

What has Pearson done for the club, which is greatly meaningful, YET?

Apart from promotion from League 1, which I fully commend him for and thoroughly enjoyed that season actually, he's not achieved anything else much thus far.

We are now off the pace of the top two in the league, it looks like we are going to be replacing Vardy with Wood (can nobody see maybe that we should have signed a really good striker in the summer?), thus spending more money and we still find it difficult to get any sort of winning run together?

I'm behind the man but you again make him out to be some sort of Fergie?

Personally, I love the cup and was ashamed when we crashed out. I mentioned when Leeds played Chelsea last week that a fixture like that, at the King Power, would have got the stadium rocking for the first time in God knows how long.

Just take your time and wait and see if we get any REAL success under Pearson. Not the type you are describing because, frankly, it isn't. Not yet anyway..

[Happy Fox]

If NP fails to get us promotion or we are far from likely to get automatic promotion which we aren't at the moment, then NP will rightly get sacked he knows the score, the business we do in January will decide our fate which I hope will see us victorious come the end of the season.

[AKCJ]

I guess you epitomise all that I'm trying to say really.

What has Pearson done for the club, which is greatly meaningful, YET?

Apart from promotion from League 1, which I fully commend him for and thoroughly enjoyed that season actually, he's not achieved anything else much thus far.

We are now off the pace of the top two in the league, it looks like we are going to be replacing Vardy with Wood (can nobody see maybe that we should have signed a really good striker in the summer?), thus spending more money and we still find it difficult to get any sort of winning run together?

I'm behind the man but you again make him out to be some sort of Fergie?

Personally, I love the cup and was ashamed when we crashed out. I mentioned when Leeds played Chelsea last week that a fixture like that, at the King Power, would have got the stadium rocking for the first time in God knows how long.

Just take your time and wait and see if we get any REAL success under Pearson. Not the type you are describing because, frankly, it isn't. Not yet anyway..

Our highest league finish for about 8 years? Playoffs when we lost on penalties. Brought us out of a very dark place.

[Col city fan]

Our highest league finish for about 8 years? Playoffs when we lost on penalties. Brought us out of a very dark place.

Yes I don't disagree...

But still not the level of success the club (and the owners) are crying out for. Not yet.

My biggest disappointment so far under Nige was actually last season, when he came to the club following the Sven fiasco and we continued to play some really rubbish football. This season has been generally better, but I can hand on say our away form is the biggest let down. I'm really really surprised he's not sorted this out by now and it's why we are where we are in the table.

Still, I'm behind him and wait to see the success that many on here are predicting.

[shade]

17 points in the last 14 games isn't sterling. i woiuld give him until the end of next season though.

[flowwolf]

I think we are in a good enough position at this stage of the season. Now the real teast will be if he can bring in the right players to at least keep us in the playoffs. If he does that then we can consider this season as good progress even if we do not go up via the playoffs.

I think it is fair to say most supporters would agree on that , but the trouble is not the fans it's the owners , Rightly or wrongly I honestly don't think he will be here next season if we don't go up. They have their own agenda and time scale and no amount of singing " there's only one Nigel Pearson" is going to change that.

[flowwolf]

Meh, so what, if that is the biggest criticism of the man, that it is not much of one, we see in flashes his personality and sense of humour, such as wrestling with Waghorn when he collided with him on the touchline, the players, and others in the game say he is not dour, he is just too guarded and defensive when it comes to the press.

Every decision he makes is under scrutiny, some times he gets it wrong, sometimes he gets it right, we will never know what happened if he brought on Futacs for Lingard against Millwall, he went for a skill and pace rather than a big lump up top, I understand why, but it didn't come off, but would Futacs have made any better difference to 2 centre halves who are very good in the air. NP knows the players better than we do, has scouted the opposition better than we have and has more riding on it, it would have been easier for him to throw on Futacs and play hoof ball, but he thought Lingard might be able to change it and help us control the game better and play it on the floor more, play to our strengths, rather than Millwall's, it didn't work but I applaud him taking that risk.

He's got a decent record with value for money, better than most, but it is not perfect, why on earth would anyone expect it to be when we see every season the best managers at the biggest clubs signing expensive flops.

The Danns debate is old now, I've made my opinions on it clear, we play much better football now than we ever did with Danns in the team, and are more successful, but as usual with the anti-Pearson brigade as soon as NP makes a decision to sell or loan a player out they become the best player at the club, people were actually complaining that we sold Mills, until he was shown to be rubbish for Bolton too.

In terms of net spend, I think it would be fairly low, and regardless if what he has spent, I wouldn't say he paid over the odds for any of them, except maybe Vardy, and all we be able to be sold on and get the majority of that money back, whereas as the likes of Danns, Beckford, Konch and Nugent are coming to the end of their peak years and their re-sale value is low, but their wages are high. He spent money, but he invested it well.

These fans are morons, he made a call, it didn't come off, if he had gone out all guns blazing we could have lost by 2 or 3, it is not the first time a Leicester manager has set his team up defensively against decent opposition in an important game, but I didn't hear anyone complaining when MON set Kaamark to man mark the brilliant Junihnio in 1997.

He doesn't as you've said he changed it up last game, and at Watford, he also started the season with James and Drinkwater in a 442, King fought his way back into the team with some superb performances, and he and drinkwater were in the middle for our unbeaten run, why would you change it? King's form has dipped a bit recently, so he changed it up last game.

He is not as stubborn as people make out, he just shows a bit more faith in his players than the fans do, despite a few bad games, King is still a superb midfielder with the ability to score goals, we are currently short on goals he would be the last person I would drop.

Meh, one game, with our small squad would we really want a cup run distraction at the moment?

What it comes down to is people looking for things to blame Pearson for, he has decisions to make, and he gets more of them right than wrong, hence us being 5th and not 10th like this time last year, but he is going to get some wrong, what I don't understand is the people that fixate in every single decision that you could argue might possibly have been a mistake and use it to slag off a manager that is doing a decent job at the moment, could be better. but it could be a hell of a lot worse and has been.

I just don't understand why he can't make a mistake, why every decision has to be so scrutinised, and if anyone doesn't agree with it, then it is a big mistake by Pearson.

All this nonsense over Danns, so many people convinced he would make a difference, but I can guarantee that if he was recalled from his loan and he did play shit, the same fans would be slagging Pearson off for playing him.

It really feels like with some fans he just can't win, some fans want him to fail, and will praise everyone but him when we win, Shakespeare for example, or the players, and blame everything on him when we lose.

I am with the OP here, sing his name and show him we appreciate him for everything he has done for this club, this time round and last, he has made me proud to be a Leicester fan, something I wasn't when he first took over.

Fvcking hell Col looks like you have a stalker ! :D

[Charl91]

As long as we finish top 6 this season, and improve our standing each year, then I have no problem with him whatsoever.

[Happy Fox]

If patience was the name of the game then NP could have all the time he wants that isn't the case here he needs to deliver promotion this season or he will get sacked.

[Tielemans63]

If patience was the name of the game then NP could have all the time he wants that isn't the case here he needs to deliver promotion this season or he will get sacked.

Quite possibly but not definitely - the Thais seem fairly level-headed to me. If we were to make the top 6 this season they might see that as progress and decide to keep him.

[Happy Fox]

Quite possibly but not definitely - the Thais seem fairly level-headed to me. If we were to make the top 6 this season they might see that as progress and decide to keep him.

Who knows really all I know is that the prem rights deal from next season is huge so the incentive to get promotion is necessary for the owners I imagine

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/nov/12/premier-league-tv-rights-5-bn

[coolhandfox]

Look were sacking the manager got Blackburn.

NP doing ok, nothing special, but we have a platform this year we are in the pack. 2nd place is wide open and a good run and who know's.

Give the guy some credit, his moved on a lot of player whilst reducing the wage bill in the process, i.e. Abi, Howard, Oakley, Mills, Peltier et al.

We have a younger, learner squad, that with a few additions can do the job!

Give the guy time!

[Captain...]

I guess you epitomise all that I'm trying to say really.

What has Pearson done for the club, which is greatly meaningful, YET?

Apart from promotion from League 1, which I fully commend him for and thoroughly enjoyed that season actually, he's not achieved anything else much thus far.

We are now off the pace of the top two in the league, it looks like we are going to be replacing Vardy with Wood (can nobody see maybe that we should have signed a really good striker in the summer?), thus spending more money and we still find it difficult to get any sort of winning run together?

I'm behind the man but you again make him out to be some sort of Fergie?

Personally, I love the cup and was ashamed when we crashed out. I mentioned when Leeds played Chelsea last week that a fixture like that, at the King Power, would have got the stadium rocking for the first time in God knows how long.

Just take your time and wait and see if we get any REAL success under Pearson. Not the type you are describing because, frankly, it isn't. Not yet anyway..

He has done more than anyone since Mickey Adams, and that is no small number of managers, no he hasn't made all of our dreams come true yet, but compared to what went on before, and what has happened at other clubs, (Blackburn and Forest spring to mind sacking managers after less than half a season) and then look at those that are currently in the top 2.

He did the most important thing he restored pride, respectability and stability for 2 years, and now he is trying and was succeeding in bringing quality football and success to the club.

He got us to the top of the league, he has got us sitting in a decent position at Christmas, all of this will mean nothing if we finish twelfth...but it will mean everything if we get promotion, (this season or next), and this my point lets judge him over the full season rather than write him off over what might happen. People are banging on about this drop in form, we've just played first and second, before that we played a Millwall, another promotion contender, it was never going to be easy. We have a small young inexperienced squad they are doing well at the moment, a few signings could really help push us on, why are people denying this.

I'm not being a happy clapper, I'm just looking at the big picture and don't see cause for alarm, yet, and compared to many other god awful seasons I see reasons for optimism.

It is clear I am not the only one, so lets keep positive for a bit longer, lets wait until the end of Jan, see where we are and what we have, if we are still 7 points off second and strengthened the squad I will be happy, then wait until the end of Feb and see where we are.

At the start of the season a lot of people would have been happy with this position at the half way point.

So why aren't we? Because we see the potential for this team to be better, we saw glimpses of real premiership class in some of our performances, to me again that is a reason for optimism, I would rather be inconsistently brilliant than never any better than average.

[Leicester_Numan]

As long as we finish top 6 this season, and improve our standing each year, then I have no problem with him whatsoever.

That's what good management has to be about for a club at our level, year on year improvement not instant success which will disappear just as instantly.

[Col city fan]

That's what good management has to be about for a club at our level, year on year improvement not instant success which will disappear just as instantly.

That I personally absolutely agree with.

However, does it reflect modern day football?

Recent events would indicate perhaps not.

I for one am massively fed up with this quick fix mentality across most sections of society, let alone football. But it's here to stay or so it would seem. Just my own little thought but I wonder whether Sir Alex may finally be losing something.

[RowZ]

Seeing as I never said anything about Pearson how have you come to the conclusion I am up his ring piece?

If you read what I posted I said "Exactly why would the owners walk away after what they have done since taking over".

So in that sentence where have I licked NP's rear passage?

Oh and I'm not a teenager and haven't been one for 20 years.

The owners have so far loaned money to the club with interest payable. They've got the managerial appointments wrong from the start - can't see them getting it right this season, by which time their promotion plan is off track with huge debts.

Maybe next season while still in the Championship they'll call in the debt and head back to the land of duty free. I do hope not but business is business and they clearly don't understand that there's no quick return for your bucks in league football.

[foxaholic]

Should never have binned him as we did in the first place, we took about ten steps backwards doing that. Sousa, Sven weren't the style of manager this club needed - stabilty. I struggle to see who or which managers could take his place at the moment. my opinion is he is certainly the best since MON.

Reading some of the comments on here reminds me of when Little took over, McGhee, Adams, even MON wasn't everyone's cup of tea (particularly Garry Parkers - Oooop . . .). Managers when given the time, the support usually swing it round, then bugger off to Villa, Wolves, Celtic . . . Hang on a minute?! Pearson out!

I like him, I like his attitude, he is extremely passionate about this club, but it exudes in different way - he has fire in his belly, is intensly private and I think that irritates some fans who would sooner have someone with the mouth of Holloway, the arrogance of John Gregory (early Villa days) and the tactical knowledge of Ian Dowie . . . Which effectively equates to Martin Allen and we all know where that got us . . .

I loved Pearson as a player and now as a manager, if he were a woman, I would attempt to kiss him/her . . . Although I'd need to be pissed as he/she would probably be a minger or look like that unfunny Miranda woman that appears on the BBC.

What equates to Martin Allen he wasnt here long enough for anyone to pass opinion and the 2 games I saw under him 2-2 at Palace and a 4-1 win over Watford were bot excellent games and performances

[jamesmilner]

i like pearson alot . but we ve lost 8 games already which is poor in football terms but not the championship form book . i watch games and come home frustrated thinking i could do a better job than nigel sometimes . no matter what people think about him , the thai consortium want promotion and then to stay in the prem , is that nigel ? i dunno if honest , i would love to be able to ask the thais their opinion . remember they are ruthless and the merry go round of managers will never ever stop in football . the saying "the king is dead, long live the king" comes to mind . no friends in business thats one question i havent got to ask .

[Oxfordfox83]

But some of those points are moronic, whether you believe them or not.

Holding it against him because of two defeats (2 and a half years apart) one of which was in the play-offs? The play-offs which have been well beyond us under every other manager since we were relegated from the Premiership in 2004? That's not a reasonable point. Especially when you consider we had at least 2 stone wall penalties turned down in that play-off game. And that most people don't give a shit about the league cup, if we beat Man Utd in the same competition, the same people who have been apparently scarred by this one defeat I'd forgotten alll about wouldn't even praise him for it if we then lost the next league game.

I tire of the Danns debate because all it is is an easy answer for the cretins who are desperate to throw any criticism at Pearson. There's little reasoning behind it, he wasn't a particularly good player over the course of last season and we are several places higher this one. If he's so great why is he only at struggling Bristol City? Face it, people are just desperate to have a go and so they cook up this crap theory that we would be doing better if Pearson hadn't released a player who most can see is average at this level.

The worst one of the lot is the argument that he's dour and lacks passion for the club. I really don't know what certain people expect, do they want him to run around the pitch and throw his jacket into the crowd every time we score? Lay into all of our players in post match interviews? Send in a video of himself doing his wife with a City shirt on? Dye his hair blue and white? Get the Leicester badge tattooed on his face?

When he showed his anger after the Forest match, was that not passion? He was so full of 'passion' that afternoon that he almost offered Beagrie out for a fight on live TV. And he did the same to the ref during the match. What passion do people exactly want him to show? Hes hardly Gary Megson is he? He gets angry, he gets at his players if they need it, but he's level headed and doesn't like to get carried away, which is good. What's he got to do to win people over, act like that prat Holloway?

You may disagree that these points are moronic. But that is just another opinion.

The thing is, I don't mind people criticising some of his tactics, he's made errors in recent games, his substitutions are often a weakness. Our current run of form wouldn't be good enough if it went on for the rest of the season, but I think we all know it won't. The people who have decided they don't like Pearson are hoping the owners sack him asap because they know their inane ramblings will make them look stupid again when form picks up - just as was the case, ironically, the last time we played Burnley.

People make up crap that they barely believe to support their views of Pearson, which they can't back down about because they haven't the humility to accept they were rash. They will keep coming up with this crap and a few other people latch onto it because they're too stupid to make up their own crap, and eventually it will appear to be a widely held and acceptable point. But that doesn't make it so.

In my opinion.

Anyway, Pearson's not perfect, but I've got faith in him and I know our form will improve. And we will be in the play-offs this season.

Spot on. I can't fault this post at all- there's some room for improvement, but overwhelmingly much more optimistic about our future than in previous seasons.

[Oxfordfox83]

The owners have so far loaned money to the club with interest payable. They've got the managerial appointments wrong from the start - can't see them getting it right this season, by which time their promotion plan is off track with huge debts.

Maybe next season while still in the Championship they'll call in the debt and head back to the land of duty free. I do hope not but business is business and they clearly don't understand that there's no quick return for your bucks in league football.

Look, let's gloss over your vague assumptions and false assertions, and stick to the massively flawed business plan you have landed the owners with.

"They'll call in the debt and head back" Call it in from whom exactly? Dear club, give us our money back, thanks, the Owners. Though if their plan is to 'cash in' as you endearingly assume, you have to find someone to buy it, and if the debt stays, why would anyone buy? The only way they'll make money is if we get promoted, in which case they achieve their aim of raising their brand internationally and have little or no need to sell.

"they clearly don't understand that there's no quick return for your bucks in league football" Why would you think just because you don't understand simple economics, a group of billionaire business owners wouldn't? Anyone would think they were the halfwits suggesting anything less than top 2 was a disaster.

Ambition is fine; idiocy, false sense of entitlement and lack of perspective are why people treat your posts with such contempt.

[5waller5]

No it doesn't! Its merely one opinion.

Lets get some balance:

- Pearson comes across to some people as dour and lacking sufficient 'passion' for the club. Especially to those who have been City fans for decades and who have enjoyed the fight in our teams demonstrated under Brian Little and MON.

- Some people question his tactics and his substitutions..Millwall away being a case in point which was only THIS month.

- Pearson's signings are usually good..but not always. There are plenty of fans who feel Vardy looks like a million pounds not very well spent. The jury is still out on DeLaet and on Zak Whitbread.

- Plenty of fans feel that Danns should still be in the squad. Perhaps not starting games, but on the bench to bring-on when the midfield are beginning to tire. However, it appears that Pearson has basically binned him.

- Pearson has sold players and has loaned players out to lower the wage bill..good! but he's also spent a decent sum of money at this level.

- Some fans find it hard to forgive Pearson for the defensive tactics he utilised against Cardiff in the first leg of the play-offs, under his last tenure. The loss at home effectively ruined our chances of making the final.

- Pearson insists on playing King in a 4-4-2, only changing this up the last time out. Simply read through the last few post-match reports which generally indicate that King HAS 'gone missing' in some of these games.

- we lost against Burton in the Capital One Cup... when we could have progressed further and enjoyed a decent cup run.

Im not saying I agree with all of these points, but they are made by fans/posters who feel that Pearson HAS got limitations as a manager. Rather than labelling anyone critiquing Pearson's management as 'a moron', (which is simple to do and pretty childish in my opinion) why not try to get some balance going on?

Personally, I like Pearson, I have faith in him as a manager and want him to stay. Primarily because I had no great expectations of him delivering success this season anyway. I said he needed TWO seasons to bring promotion to the club.

However, don't be fooled.. if we continue to struggle to look like we are improving on the pitch, Pearson may well be out of a job...

We now need a run of a few victories to get us back on track.

Amazingly balanced from the man that accused me of being anti NP because I asked what we should do to turn around the form, given the same squad, in the next two games.

[5waller5]

But some of those points are moronic, whether you believe them or not.

Holding it against him because of two defeats (2 and a half years apart) one of which was in the play-offs? The play-offs which have been well beyond us under every other manager since we were relegated from the Premiership in 2004? That's not a reasonable point. Especially when you consider we had at least 2 stone wall penalties turned down in that play-off game. And that most people don't give a shit about the league cup, if we beat Man Utd in the same competition, the same people who have been apparently scarred by this one defeat I'd forgotten alll about wouldn't even praise him for it if we then lost the next league game.

I tire of the Danns debate because all it is is an easy answer for the cretins who are desperate to throw any criticism at Pearson. There's little reasoning behind it, he wasn't a particularly good player over the course of last season and we are several places higher this one. If he's so great why is he only at struggling Bristol City? Face it, people are just desperate to have a go and so they cook up this crap theory that we would be doing better if Pearson hadn't released a player who most can see is average at this level.

The worst one of the lot is the argument that he's dour and lacks passion for the club. I really don't know what certain people expect, do they want him to run around the pitch and throw his jacket into the crowd every time we score? Lay into all of our players in post match interviews? Send in a video of himself doing his wife with a City shirt on? Dye his hair blue and white? Get the Leicester badge tattooed on his face?

When he showed his anger after the Forest match, was that not passion? He was so full of 'passion' that afternoon that he almost offered Beagrie out for a fight on live TV. And he did the same to the ref during the match. What passion do people exactly want him to show? Hes hardly Gary Megson is he? He gets angry, he gets at his players if they need it, but he's level headed and doesn't like to get carried away, which is good. What's he got to do to win people over, act like that prat Holloway?

You may disagree that these points are moronic. But that is just another opinion.

The thing is, I don't mind people criticising some of his tactics, he's made errors in recent games, his substitutions are often a weakness. Our current run of form wouldn't be good enough if it went on for the rest of the season, but I think we all know it won't. The people who have decided they don't like Pearson are hoping the owners sack him asap because they know their inane ramblings will make them look stupid again when form picks up - just as was the case, ironically, the last time we played Burnley.

People make up crap that they barely believe to support their views of Pearson, which they can't back down about because they haven't the humility to accept they were rash. They will keep coming up with this crap and a few other people latch onto it because they're too stupid to make up their own crap, and eventually it will appear to be a widely held and acceptable point. But that doesn't make it so.

In my opinion.

Anyway, Pearson's not perfect, but I've got faith in him and I know our form will improve. And we will be in the play-offs this season.

I tire of the Danns debate when facts are ignored. Danns wasn't permitted to join any side outside the bottom four clubs. That's why he's at Bristol.

??

And if he wasn't in the manager's plans then why was he given the number 8 shirt??? And yet he didn't get to start any game but Burton and if that's enough to get booted out we should have 11 players less.

[5waller5]

He has done more than anyone since Mickey Adams, and that is no small number of managers, no he hasn't made all of our dreams come true yet, but compared to what went on before, and what has happened at other clubs, (Blackburn and Forest spring to mind sacking managers after less than half a season) and then look at those that are currently in the top 2.

He did the most important thing he restored pride, respectability and stability for 2 years, and now he is trying and was succeeding in bringing quality football and success to the club.

He got us to the top of the league, he has got us sitting in a decent position at Christmas, all of this will mean nothing if we finish twelfth...but it will mean everything if we get promotion, (this season or next), and this my point lets judge him over the full season rather than write him off over what might happen. People are banging on about this drop in form, we've just played first and second, before that we played a Millwall, another promotion contender, it was never going to be easy. We have a small young inexperienced squad they are doing well at the moment, a few signings could really help push us on, why are people denying this.

I'm not being a happy clapper, I'm just looking at the big picture and don't see cause for alarm, yet, and compared to many other god awful seasons I see reasons for optimism.

It is clear I am not the only one, so lets keep positive for a bit longer, lets wait until the end of Jan, see where we are and what we have, if we are still 7 points off second and strengthened the squad I will be happy, then wait until the end of Feb and see where we are.

At the start of the season a lot of people would have been happy with this position at the half way point.

So why aren't we? Because we see the potential for this team to be better, we saw glimpses of real premiership class in some of our performances, to me again that is a reason for optimism, I would rather be inconsistently brilliant than never any better than average.

I pretty much agree with this ...... my only question would be to you - if the current form of 12 games extends to 18 games / 20 games / 24 games .... at what point is it not good enough???

[Captain...]

I pretty much agree with this ...... my only question would be to you - if the current form of 12 games extends to 18 games / 20 games / 24 games .... at what point is it not good enough???

If we start turning in lacklustre performances, stop trying and let teams just stroll through us, I will forgive my team many things, but not trying and giving up the fight is one thing that I won't.

If we slip out of the top 6 and look like we can't challenge at the top.

These would be what would concern me, outplaying Cardiff and holding Hull, the top 2 in the league suggests that we are more than capable of competing at the top, and if we build on this foundation, even if we only build slowly, then I am happy, Wood will hopefully be a great addition, young, proven at this level, shouldn't be intimidated by the size of the club.

I think we need to be patient and re-evaluate at the end of Jan see where we are, we have some winnable games in Jan (well they are all winnable) but as usual no easy games, by the end of Jan we will know our squad and what we need to do, if by the end of March/April time we have dropped out of the top 6 and don't look like getting promoted then maybe it is time to look for a new manager.