Pearson In/Out

[Simmo86]

Look at the talent Pearson has brought into this club! We're still 5th..

Take Knockaert for example, no-one knew who he was and were saying even before he signed he'd be "another kermorgant"..

5th wooooohooooooo!

We were second 3 weeks ago!

But it's alright we're still in the playoffs!

[MC Prussian]

Why sacking the manager when you're nestled nicely in 5th position?

Yes, that's fifth position in the Championship. That's a playoff place. It's just about where many of us wanted us to be at this point of the campaign and there's still a great chance that we'll remain in this position comes April.

It makes no sense to sack a manager with ten games to go under these circumstances.

If, and that's still a very big if, we should drop out of the Top Six and finish the season outside of it, then maybe we can discuss this further on.

Until then, it's all just one big piece of b*ll*cks.

[johnny the fox]

Look at the talent Pearson has brought into this club! We're still 5th..

Take Knockaert for example, no-one knew who he was and were saying even before he signed he'd be "another kermorgant"..

so give us the number of defeats from here till your view changes?

[Bob Weasel Fox]

We wont be sacking NP, stability is needed at least for a while yet. Although i think the Thais will run out of patience soon

[Ely fox]

If Pearson is wrongly or rightly sacked - and we get a new guy in. What happens when we lose the Charlton, Peterborough and Sheffield Wednesday and go on a 10 games patch of poor form...do we sack him too?

My point is why do people think sacking a manager is going to help? What do you hope we will achieve by doing this?

Things can only get better .... sing along now

[Mark_w]

5th wooooohooooooo!

We were second 3 weeks ago!

But it's alright we're still in the playoffs!

Click Me.

[MattyFromLE]

Things can only get better .... sing along now

Thanks for your insightful answers.

[dedlock]

Stability is required.This is a young team,a work in progress.

NP will be given until the end of the season.

If results don't improve the owners will take a long,hard look.

Pearson will probably be replaced.

His likely hope for a reprieve is to make the play offs.

[paulsherwood1]

I find it interesting that anyone who says anything against the manager is often derided and called a non supporter, and quite often suggested they should go and support cov.

Just a thought, but if NP is given the chop tomorrow, do these people then 100% blindly back the new manager, or do they go on and say what a bad decision was? Because surely if they show such undying support for the club, then I don't expect to see any posts on here suggesting the Thai's have made the wrong decision.... Surely anything other than blind support would make you disloyal!

Just saying like.....

[MattyFromLE]

I find it interesting that anyone who says anything against the manager is often derided and called a non supporter, and quite often suggested they should go and support cov.

Just a thought, but if NP is given the chop tomorrow, do these people then 100% blindly back the new manager, or do they go on and say what a bad decision was? Because surely if they show such undying support for the club, then I don't expect to see any posts on here suggesting the Thai's have made the wrong decision.... Surely anything other than blind support would make you disloyal!

Just saying like.....

I support Leicester and always will. I will do if he goes, I was here before him and will be after him.

But I can see when a decision is wrong and right, and I can see when common sense is being ignored.

If he goes then be goes the majority will be there to support the boys. The point you're making is stupid however. We "blindly" support the club because we love the club and just want to see success, much like the "boo-boys".

[Fox92]

I'll add this, that I saw the Wednesday forum. (We should use this as a slogan)...

"wee wees me off that teams like Leicester can consider 5th as crap season when Wednesday have never been close to Championship play offs since we came dowm from Prem."

Think that puts it into perspective, it does for me, anyway. I would have taken a play off spot prior to the season starting, I still would.

[inckley fox]

I have no idea whether firing NP would work out or not and I think some of his staunchest defenders have tripped over themselves in their argument. I don't want to see him go, not yet at least, but the only convincing argument I can come up with in his favour can only be reached by acknowledging a few unfortunate truths:

a) That finishing 5th in 2010 should not be compared to reaching 5th this year, because of spending and expectations

b) That he has had a high number of fall-outs with players

c) That he has been tactically one-dimensional for much of the season

d) That his signings have included a lot of promise, but also a few big gambles that didn't pay off

e) That he actually benefited in many respects from the spending of the Sousa and Eriksson eras

f) That his manner in recent press conferences has led to a lot of ill feeling towards him on the terraces

g) That we are in an appalling run of form which will lead to us falling out of the play offs if it doesn't stop now

h) That our points-per-game total over the course of this season is below expectations, and wouldn't have made the play-offs last season

i) That him having enjoyed our best season in the past nine years is a misleading fact - those have been the nine least successful seasons in our history and we are now seeing the biggest ever investment in our history

j) That the trial of Schlupp was a bizarre and unprecedented managerial move, and ultimately led to us unsettling a promising player and - when Konchesky came off injured in a key game - not having cover. A game later the loaning out of Moore led to an identical problem when De Laet came off.

If we can accept the above, and that Pearson is therefore not doing a great job this time around, then I think we can make a realistic counter-argument to the SACK PEARSON campaign and serious suggestions for improvement, without needing insults or exaggerations:

a) That we are only ten games from the end of the season and few incoming managers in football history have, within ten games of arrival, achieved the sort of form we need to achieve to remain in the play-offs

b) That Pearson knows the strengths of the players

c) That we may well need loan signings, and his knowledge of our weaknesses makes him the best-placed man to bring the right ones in

d) That he varied tactics regularly in 2009-10, and so has the capacity to be less one-dimensional than his current set-up: What he needs to do is look back at how he has handled things differently in the past and learn from it

e) That he has won a promotion from another league (and with us)

f) That his achievements in his first spell were outstanding and, on-balance, he has had a positive influence on the club

g) That we have been crying out for years for a manager who focuses on long-term team-building, and some of his acquisitions will almost certainly prove to be assets

h) That our greatest ever success came from not getting trigger happy with a good manager in a brief, but serious, dip in form during a promotion race. Even though that manager had only been here for a short time, it should be remembered that a short time ago we were doing a lot better than we are now

i) That it would be impossible for a new manager to change anything through Monday's session, coming before a game we expect to lose. Even if we want to sack Pearson before the end of the season, it makes sense to give him that game and even one more before the international break

j) Many of the alternatives being mentioned are worrying names - Di Canio says he is not a racist, doesn't vote and hangs out with Socialists, but he also once said he was a fascist, which isn't wise for the most multicultural city in England, which is desperate to attract Asian fans; Megson's name has been rumoured, Keane likewise, Hoddle, McClaren and McLeish are all in the market for a job. Meanwhile it is likely that Adkins, Lennon and Di Matteo are all unavailable, or at best happy to wait. If Pearson is to go, then we should be patient too.

k) If we are in potential financial difficulties, then paying off three members of staff (who have helped to cut our wage bill) is an expense we may not be able to afford

l) At this stage in the season, over history, more clubs in our position go up when they stick with the manager

Okay, so you might disagree with some of this, but I just feel a balanced argument would do more to help Pearson's case - and lead to sensible suggestions as to what we can do to sort ourselves out.

[LCFC_FAN_1995]

5th wooooohooooooo!

We were second 3 weeks ago!

But it's alright we're still in the playoffs!

And? I'm happy with top 6.

[Fox92]

And? I'm happy with top 6.

Same. Said all along that I would have taken a play off place before the season started. I still would.

[SemperEadem]

Yes we did get up to first and second but things happen in football which means we can't sustain that. If we get to the play off's that to me is a sucessful season. Just because we have spent money over ther previous seasons does not give us the God given right to go up. Bakc Pearson and the boys on the final push.

[Simmo86]

And? I'm happy with top 6.

Same. Said all along that I would have taken a play off place before the season started. I still would.

Don't get why anybody would be happy with playoffs when we had it in our hands to go up automatically.

Madness! Sums up the majority of our fanbase though

[Happy Fox]

The expectation was automatic promotion from the owners/management/players why should we accept the playoffs?

[lcfcsnow]

I'll add this, that I saw the Wednesday forum. (We should use this as a slogan)...

"wee wees me off that teams like Leicester can consider 5th as crap season when Wednesday have never been close to Championship play offs since we came dowm from Prem."

Think that puts it into perspective, it does for me, anyway. I would have taken a play off spot prior to the season starting, I still would.

Does it?

Similar thing happened at Wednesday last season, favourites for automatic and rightly so as they were the biggest club in the league, biggest wage bill and best players in League One but were on a similar run to us now, dropping further and further from automatics. Mandaric made the right change which ultimately saved their season.

Now I'm not saying we are the biggest club in this league, but due to investment alone we have the biggest wage bill, we should have the best players in the Championship due to recruitment/wages but the fact is, we don't. And that is down to the manager. He has failed to provide strong enough squad and our season is falling to pieces. We need a boost of some sort, but it has to be the right change.

That Wednesday fan can look at it like that if he wants, but the only thing different to their scenario last season is we're in the Championship and not League One. If like them we had spent next to nothing on players, wages, and were sitting in 5th (like in 2010), we probably wouldn't be having this discussion. But for once our football club shown ambition and expectation and once again like just over a decade ago under Taylor, the managers employed to use that money wisely have messed it up and we've ended up in no end of debt again.

[Fox92]

Don't get why anybody would be happy with playoffs when we had it in our hands to go up automatically.

Madness! Sums up the majority of our fanbase though

I wouldn't call it madness personally, if someone said before the season that we've got a play off place, I would have taken it. Just because of the amount of competition again this season; Blackpool (start of the season under Holloway), Bolton, Blackburn are all strong teams, along with the likes of Cardiff, Leeds, Middlesbrough, Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace, Hull, Watford all made it a difficult season prior to it even starting imo.

Of course, I'd love automatic but I never felt we were going to claim that. It's just bad when we are second and now we're looking for a play off place (and we'll be lucky with that with our current form) but I'd accept a play off place now, yes. With results come a change in expectations with some people, but my personal expectations have always remained the same.

[Guest Col city fan]

I have no idea whether firing NP would work out or not and I think some of his staunchest defenders have tripped over themselves in their argument. I don't want to see him go, not yet at least, but the only convincing argument I can come up with in his favour can only be reached by acknowledging a few unfortunate truths:

a) That finishing 5th in 2010 should not be compared to reaching 5th this year, because of spending and expectations

b) That he has had a high number of fall-outs with players

c) That he has been tactically one-dimensional for much of the season

d) That his signings have included a lot of promise, but also a few big gambles that didn't pay off

e) That he actually benefited in many respects from the spending of the Sousa and Eriksson eras

f) That his manner in recent press conferences has led to a lot of ill feeling towards him on the terraces

g) That we are in an appalling run of form which will lead to us falling out of the play offs if it doesn't stop now

h) That our points-per-game total over the course of this season is below expectations, and wouldn't have made the play-offs last season

i) That him having enjoyed our best season in the past nine years is a misleading fact - those have been the nine least successful seasons in our history and we are now seeing the biggest ever investment in our history

j) That the trial of Schlupp was a bizarre and unprecedented managerial move, and ultimately led to us unsettling a promising player and - when Konchesky came off injured in a key game - not having cover. A game later the loaning out of Moore led to an identical problem when De Laet came off.

If we can accept the above, and that Pearson is therefore not doing a great job this time around, then I think we can make a realistic counter-argument to the SACK PEARSON campaign and serious suggestions for improvement, without needing insults or exaggerations:

a) That we are only ten games from the end of the season and few incoming managers in football history have, within ten games of arrival, achieved the sort of form we need to achieve to remain in the play-offs

b) That Pearson knows the strengths of the players

c) That we may well need loan signings, and his knowledge of our weaknesses makes him the best-placed man to bring the right ones in

d) That he varied tactics regularly in 2009-10, and so has the capacity to be less one-dimensional than his current set-up: What he needs to do is look back at how he has handled things differently in the past and learn from it

e) That he has won a promotion from another league (and with us)

f) That his achievements in his first spell were outstanding and, on-balance, he has had a positive influence on the club

g) That we have been crying out for years for a manager who focuses on long-term team-building, and some of his acquisitions will almost certainly prove to be assets

h) That our greatest ever success came from not getting trigger happy with a good manager in a brief, but serious, dip in form during a promotion race. Even though that manager had only been here for a short time, it should be remembered that a short time ago we were doing a lot better than we are now

i) That it would be impossible for a new manager to change anything through Monday's session, coming before a game we expect to lose. Even if we want to sack Pearson before the end of the season, it makes sense to give him that game and even one more before the international break

j) Many of the alternatives being mentioned are worrying names - Di Canio says he is not a racist, doesn't vote and hangs out with Socialists, but he also once said he was a fascist, which isn't wise for the most multicultural city in England, which is desperate to attract Asian fans; Megson's name has been rumoured, Keane likewise, Hoddle, McClaren and McLeish are all in the market for a job. Meanwhile it is likely that Adkins, Lennon and Di Matteo are all unavailable, or at best happy to wait. If Pearson is to go, then we should be patient too.

k) If we are in potential financial difficulties, then paying off three members of staff (who have helped to cut our wage bill) is an expense we may not be able to afford

l) At this stage in the season, over history, more clubs in our position go up when they stick with the manager

Okay, so you might disagree with some of this, but I just feel a balanced argument would do more to help Pearson's case - and lead to sensible suggestions as to what we can do to sort ourselves out.

I like your posts Inckley, but I really don't have time to read all that!!

[superfox1980]

The worrying thing for me is the fact that every time we've gotten into a good position, our form has dipped. That to me says something about the mentality of the players. We've had so many oppourtunities this season to make 1st/2nd place our own and we've basically cocked it up.

A major factor for me is there's no competition for the 2 central midfield places. The middle two of either Drinkwater, King or James just aren't good enough to fight it out with battling teams. We need some steel in there. The hub of the team is severly lacking and needs addressing.

Pearson should be given until the end of the season. Whether he's the man to take us into the prem and establish us there is another matter.

We all need to get behind the manager and the team......... some of the fans views are quite frankly ridiculous IMO.

[NewburyFox]

Yes we're still 5th, but our form has plummeted and if we keep this up for much longer I can't see us finishing in the play-offs. The performances have been truly woeful for weeks, and unfortunately Nigel doesn't seem to know what to do to change it.

I am genuinely stumped that we played Kane on the wing again yesterday. It didn't work against Leeds, Nigel didn't learn from his mistake and inevitably it didn't work against Weds. I'm not in the Nigel out camp but I am extremely concerned at our form, and the fact that he seems clueless as to how to turn it around. He's not sorted out our away form this season, and now our home form is going the same way.

I can't help but wonder if a change, with the right replacement (Adkins for me), would save our season. All we need is a reasonable end to the season, the talent is clearly there and maybe another manager with fresh ideas could turn us around. At the moment our season is crashing around us and we seem to have no idea how to stop it

[5waller5]

I woke up this morning thoroughly expecting to read about NP being relived of his duties last night. Maybe they will give him time after all.

[Jon the Hat]

Has he not gone yet? Can only imagine they are waiting for someone else to sign.

[Corky]

We struggle in every March that Pearson is here.