Nigel Pearson - Stay or Go?

[hackneyfox]

90% was an arbitrary figure plucked out of the air you pedantic ****er. I still maintain only two of those signings were shit. You're entitled to your own opinion. Mind you, you've been gunning for Pearson all season, so I suppose it didn't much matter what he achieved while he was here when people have already made their minds up.

90% wasn't arbitrary it was plain wrong and so I disagreed with you, as have a few others.

[indierich06]

Everyones entitled to their opinions, but thank the lord your not our manager if you think Kane is even average.

Also you say you think 2 of his signings were shit? care to tell me which 2? Because if Kane aint 1 of them, Id like to know who they are.

I tend to trust the opinions of footballing professionals rather than judge a player after a handful of loan games. The lad has potential - he hasn't shown much while he's here and I've said as much, but I think he's a lot better than he's shown here. Evidently Spurs and a host of other Championship and PL clubs who were after him on loan think so too.

And if you can't be arsed to read the ****ing thread, then I'll repeat myself. Vardy and Futacs are shit. Kane and Whitbread I'm still not decided on, the rest have been decent buys.

[indierich06]

90% wasn't arbitrary it was plain wrong and so I disagreed with you, as have a few others.

Yeah whatever, I'm bored now. I'll leave you with your calculator and your graph paper to work out what percentage of our players you hate. Toodles.

[hackneyfox]

I tend to trust the opinions of footballing professionals rather than judge a player after a handful of loan games. The lad has potential - he hasn't shown much while he's here and I've said

And if you can't be arsed to read the ****ing thread, then I'll repeat myself. Vardy and Futacs are shit. Kane and Whitbread I'm still not decided on, the rest have been decent buys.

Decent does not equal successful.

Yeah whatever, I'm bored now. I'll leave you with your calculator and your graph paper to work out what percentage of our players you hate. Toodles.

I'm probably a bit too old to love or hate players or managers.

[ealingfox]

The problem is people are basing their vote and opinion on speculation - speculating about how we will be doing at the start of next season. For me, Pearson did a fantastic job last season. I don't know how so many people have wiped our season until February from their minds. All this talk of constant hoofball and NP being clueless from the start - TOTAL bollocks. With one of the smallest and youngest squads not just in the Championship, but in the entire Football League, Pearson and the lads were winning games and picking up points, handing out some real beatings in the process. We might have lost a few games along the way before Feb, but that's completely irrelevant, because we were 2nd, and all this talk about it being a poor Championship etc, irrelevant, the table is what it is, if you are 2nd in February you've been the 2nd best side until February, if you are 6th at the end, you have made the top 6 and that's that, no matter how it happened.

 

Now after February came and as time went on from there , I think we can all admit that Pearson made some mistakes, and the unfortunate impression he has given in not being able to turn a game on its head ended up being very damaging. Our embarrassingly weak bench contributed to this impression undoubtedly, and this can be rectified for next season. Pearson couldn't do unlimited business in the summer or January. More time and more opportunities were needed. There are several aspects of the slump which I feel NP is unfairly given all the blame for. Players dropped out of form at unfortunate times, injuries hit and rumour-mongering did too. The small and young squad bottled the pressure of being top 2, having not experienced it before, and perhaps it's fair to say NP, having also not been in said position before, bottled it a little too. Add to that some bad luck on the pitch (screamers flying in against us every other week etc - what can Pearson do about that?) and we dropped out of the running.

 

You are in complete denial if you can't admit we played some excellent football up to February. The slow and steady creeping of more hoofball into our game since then was part-panic, part-Chris Wood, and part-desperation, to make us a bit more solid trying to arrest the slump. But for all this complaining I'm hearing about a style orienting around long-balls, what is all that wrong with it? I think what people are forgetting here is that while it might not be pretty, it works in this division. It worked for Sheff Utd, it worked for Stoke, it worked for Wolves, and it worked for Cardiff, who have resorted to it PLENTY of times this season when they needed to dig in at the back and grind it out. All this complaining about not having a Plan B, why can't that be it next season? For me, the Watford home leg represented a perfect example of how we can reconcile both styles to get the results we need. The first half we came out all guns blazing, played some good stuff on the floor, and looked dangerous, all over them. The only player playing long-balls before the hour-mark was Schlupp, who was clearly bricking it continually after his mistake and booking, but even then, his ball to pick out Keane in the box - sublime vision and execution. Now although we looked good before half-time, Watford also looked very dangerous on the counter. So as time went on and the goal wasn't coming, we switch to a more long-ball style, and guess what? We got the goal - and we kept them out for our first clean sheet in yonks. We ground that result out - who wouldn't be satisfied if we went with that 90 minute game plan in the league next season in 20 or so matches where our first-half football wasn't getting us anywhere, and it brought us 14 wins and a couple of draws, even if they were a bit boring?

 

Regardless of the slump, what you also cannot deny is that Pearson salvaged the season. We dropped out of the top 6, but we only lost one of the last six, took points off 2 teams above us away from home, and beat BOTH of the teams who could have snatched our spot when we needed to, climaxing in a magic afternoon in Nottingham. Whatever mistakes he had made, whatever was getting the players down, he rectified it, kept the season alive and gave us that chance, and again it's only a Frenchman's penalty that has foiled him. I don't care what anyone says, yesterday Watford might have played nicer football than us, but we matched them over the 90 minutes and were good for the draw that pen would have given us, and then what would NP have done? Masterminded a victory over two legs against a side the league table says is significantly better than us. 

 

The only issue for me, is how much we will learn from this season. How much did Knocky learn? How much did Nigel learn? I firmly believe they will all take the experience of this season and come back stronger. No doubt Pearson has recognised some of his errors and we can all work on them. For all the people bringing up Vardy and Futacs, pray tell me when was the last time they saw any minutes? NP realised they were pony months ago, so helped orchestrate Schlupp's spell at United, before bringing him back into the fold, and lo and behold, Schlupp makes important contributions like the winner v Bolton, and shows enough to hold down a place in the side in two positions. 

 

Nigel's business is unfinished. Knocky will want to come back and do it for us next season - he has said he loves Leicester and was distraught to miss that penalty. I thoroughly believe another summer of shipping out deadwood and money-spinners, with another couple of scouted gems and shrewd signings, and our squad, particularly the bench, will be stronger, and NP's mandate will be a lot closer to being fulfilled. I thoroughly believe Pearson and the players have and will learn from their post-January experiences, they will come back with fresh legs, another year of Championship experience (and for a lot of them their first year (!) of Championship experience) and be ready to go again, back with a vengeance.

 

By all means, if we are making the same silly mistakes and looking like the January-March Leicester, the one that loses at home to the dross, rather than the other one that crushes them by six goals come August, by all means perhaps we should think about a change, a measured one that is likely to keep most of our core of players together and not set us back with a wild new project. But as much as some of you want to believe it, Pearson didn't take that penalty yesterday, and he deserves the chance to build on and finish what he's started. When he was appointed, he and the owners talked a lot about the long-term, which I am a big fan of. 18 months is not long-term.

 

I have every faith that Nigel will repeat the same trick next season, we will be in the top 2 in February just like we were this season, and this time, with lessons learnt and problem areas addressed, we'll fvcking stay there. 

 

Keep the Faith, because Foxes Never Quit.

[The Horse's Mouth]

I've said before I don't rate him as high as other people do. But I also believe that stablity is key and we should keep him for another season.

[inckley fox]

I'm not surprised, but find it slightly ridiculous, that one win and a defeat over two legs has turned 60% support into 80+% support on the forum. I know we came close, but we still conceded three goals for the first time all season in the most important game of the year. Our defence is still ragged. The substitutions are still suspect.

 

I understand the stability argument and agree that Pearson will be well-placed to iron out the creases in the side. However it's impossible to avoid the fact that our second half of the season was very poor and few of our young players have improved under his tutelage. If we do keep him, thanks in part to overwhelming shows of support from the fans, then it's no good that 20+% of people suddenly turning on him again after ten or fifteen games, because we know full well where that will lead us.

 

Persisting with a manager who is taking us forwards is obviously the right thing to do. If, however, that's not clear - and there's a fair argument based on the past six months to say that it isn't - then history should also tell us that sticking with a manager for stability's sake and losing him after a couple of months of the new season (see Taylor 2001, Adams 2004, Sven 2011) is the worst possible thing to do.

 

I've never yelled Pearson out and I've stuck up for him a good few times in the past, but I honestly feel that - depending on finances and viable alternatives - the argument for us to look elsewhere just edges the argument that he should stay.

[5waller5]

You believe he can be held completely responsible for players performances?

 

YES.

 

Do you think he can't?

 

He's the manager ..... He signs them if he thinks they're good enough, he coaches them to improve them, and he sells them if they don't work out.

 

It's his team, it's his job to get the most out of them.

 

It's the same for every manager in every profession.

[Kitchandro]

YES.

 

Do you think he can't?

 

He's the manager ..... He signs them if he thinks they're good enough, he coaches them to improve them, and he sells them if they don't work out.

 

It's his team, it's his job to get the most out of them.

 

It's the same for every manager in every profession.

 

erm...no, unless the players are robots and he controls them with playstation controllers.

[5waller5]

erm...no, unless the players are robots and he controls them with playstation controllers.

 

 

I'm losing the will to live.

 

Please tell me you don't believe the tripe you're posting??

[inckley fox]

FFS, I haven't sat down with my calculator and worked out what ****ing percentage of players have been a success here. Alright, let's say the vast majority.

 

Good signings:

 

James

Morgan

Knockaert

Wood

Keane

Marshall

De Laet

Drinkwater

 

Not all spectacular, amazing signings, but all good, solid signings.

 

 

I'm not convinced De Laet, Drinkwater, Marshall or even Wood have been 'solid'. In patches, yes, but then again that's the reason why we didn't go up this year.

 

And Keane - I'm afraid I'm amazed that people still maintain he was a 'good, solid' signing. As soon as opposition teams identified him as a weak link our defence were exploited week in week out - to the tune of one clean sheet in our last fifteen games, and two or more conceded in nine of our last eleven.

[ealingfox]

YES.

 

Do you think he can't?

 

He's the manager ..... He signs them if he thinks they're good enough, he coaches them to improve them, and he sells them if they don't work out.

 

It's his team, it's his job to get the most out of them.

 

It's the same for every manager in every profession.

 

Rooney's been pony this season - does that mean Sir Alex is a poor manager?

[Harry - LCFC]

A month or so ago I remember the balance of opinion being about 60:40, now it's 80:20.

 

It appears that a lot of people thought we'd fail to make the POs and getting in changed a lot of people's minds.

 

Pearson in, btw. 

[Bayfox]

Can we stop quoting cardiff.

They sacked dave jones to get promoted.

[cjslcfc]

Can we stop quoting cardiff.

They sacked dave jones to get promoted.

 

"Mackay signed a three-year contract as Cardiff City manager on 17 June 2011" -  from wiki. I believe that is two full years ago without having a mess left by an incompetent con man (Sven). So your point is?

[daddylonglegs]

3 FULL seasons as LCFC boss.

 

League 1 Winners.

Championship Play Offs (lose on pens)

Championship Play Offs (we all know what happened)

 

STAY STAY STAY STAY

[Kitchandro]

I'm losing the will to live.

 

Please tell me you don't believe the tripe you're posting??

 

Alright then Einstein explain how someone can be in total control of other people's bodily functions?

[daddylonglegs]

I Wasnt at the game yesterday, was there much support for him (one nigel pearson, theres only one nigel pearson....)

[Bettsj2]

He stays, we go up next year.

He goes, we dont.

[pazzerfox]

Can't say I agree with all of that. I think the gamble of putting the young Keane in at centre back hasn't worked, he's made too many errors and looked well out of his depth against Watford. It was the defence that really cost us and he was all over the place.

 

I'd put De Laet on the jury's out list at best. He is not a good defender, but very useful on the ball.

 

I'll give Wood the benefit of the doubt because I'm sure he's a better player than he has been since his injury, but if we're honest, as good as he was when he first joined he's been absolutely woeful on the whole since. His signing may be a success in the long term but when you look at this season in isolation, our performances dipped dramatically after his inclusion. Is that because we changed our style of play for him?

 

Drinkwater as well, had some very good games but has faded into obscurity when it's really mattered, he's not very consistant. Marshall is also borderline, he's been crap for most of the season but he could still yet fulfill his potential.

 

I'd also put Whitbread and Kane in the shit list, they've really not done enough positive to suggest they are of use to us.

 

One thing I would say is I think quite a few of these players have played well below themselves far too often this season. Pearson cannot be held completely responsible for that.

Agree Kitchandro.  The gamble with Keane definitely has not worked.  There is no doubting his ability but his naivety and inexperience has cost us in vital moments.

[bluesbrothers]

This poll gives me faith.

[sharpie]

Its simply he was set a task and failed so he has to go, at work if I dont hit my targets im in trouble and could lose my job, people go on about stability but how long do you leave it what if we kept him and made play offs again next season but dont get promoted do you wait another year? On transfers we were the secong highest spenders in league some poor signings and loans, we have been awful leading upto playoffs amazing we got in them and plays long ball with some strange tactical decisions.

[Guest]

Its simply he was set a task and failed so he has to go, at work if I dont hit my targets im in trouble and could lose my job, people go on about stability but how long do you leave it what if we kept him and made play offs again next season but dont get promoted do you wait another year? On transfers we were the secong highest spenders in league some poor signings and loans, we have been awful leading upto playoffs amazing we got in them and plays long ball with some strange tactical decisions.

[Ozwin]

Sack him and then what, another 3 years of rebuilding and players coming and going, will we ever learn that this isn't the way?

[sdb]

there's already threads like this. plus you're wrong. Pearson needs to stay. We're building something.