Pearson Boring to Exciting

[Harry - LCFC]

Brian Little took us from a side minutes from relegation to promotion in three years. Pretty similar circumstances and a similar result except that Pearson hasn't got us to the prem yet. That's why I say the Little is a better comparison than MON, who had us promoted, winning trophies and playing in Europe by this time in his reign.

 

Agree with this. Near relegation to promotion in three seasons is roughly equivalent to having the club in a bit of a mess to promotion in 2 and 3/4 seasons.

 

If we go up in 2014 then Pearson will be on a par with Little IMO, although I certainly believe he can achieve even more than that.

[DANGEROUS TIGER]

I think you're missing the point. I'm saying that judging a managers performance based on his interview style is a little bid odd. And that there has been a lot more good play than bad.

 

But don't give as much credit where it's due as you do criticism then it seems you're always going to be unsatisfied/your expectations are too high.

I think you must have missed my posts this season. Before it started I stated many times that I was backing Pearson all the way this season, and have praised both him and the team regularly. His management technique appears to have vastly improved , as has the team performance. His interviews are far more interesting, and not dreary as has previously been the case. Credit where credit is due, and that will continue to be the case.

 

I stand by what I have stated about the PREVIOUS two seasons, however, which I found disappointing  in many ways, as did many others.

 

Come on you Foxes, keep up the good work.

[Haydos]

I think you must have missed my posts this season. Before it started I stated many times that I was backing Pearson all the way this season, and have praised both him and the team regularly. His management technique appears to have vastly improved , as has the team performance. His interviews are far more interesting, and not dreary as has previously been the case. Credit where credit is due, and that will continue to be the case.

I stand by what I have stated about the PREVIOUS two seasons, however, which I found disappointing in many ways, as did many others.

Come on you Foxes, keep up the good work.

Fair enough, I guess we have differing opinions of the last couple of seasons. I admit I was disappointed with last year, we really should have capitalised in several ways but I still saw ability and what I thought was a team capable of promotion. And while the job is only half done I again feel slightly vindicated.

Of course we could capitulate again but I would still feel the same potential, that we are obviously a talented unit if we can make it to the halfway point in this position.

[theessexfox]

His interviews aren't even remotely boring anyway, to me. 

[Strokes]

Fair enough, I guess we have differing opinions of the last couple of seasons. I admit I was disappointed with last year, we really should have capitalised in several ways but I still saw ability and what I thought was a team capable of promotion. And while the job is only half done I again feel slightly vindicated.

Of course we could capitulate again but I would still feel the same potential, that we are obviously a talented unit if we can make it to the halfway point in this position.

I can see why you might feel vindicated, nigel has had a tougher job this year than he did last and its a big testament to his abilities that he has exceeded what we did this time last year. There is no doubt he and the core squad has learnt from previous mistakes, i really hope that its enough to get us over line. I genuinely thought we would do well to make the playoffs and that ffp would stifle any ideas of a promotion push until we shaved the wage bill dramatically, its a great achievment if we are on course for both, and hats off to him.

[Guest Col city fan]

I think you must have missed my posts this season. Before it started I stated many times that I was backing Pearson all the way this season, and have praised both him and the team regularly. His management technique appears to have vastly improved , as has the team performance. His interviews are far more interesting, and not dreary as has previously been the case. Credit where credit is due, and that will continue to be the case.

I stand by what I have stated about the PREVIOUS two seasons, however, which I found disappointing in many ways, as did many others.

Come on you Foxes, keep up the good work.

DT.. I've found your posts far more balanced this season. And I agree with you. Pointing out what most people felt last season (ie that we'd blown a great chance of getting automatic promotion) isnt being negative, its being honest.

Last season you dismissed Pearson a little to readily (I think thats fair?).. this season you, like me, wanted to give the man a real chance. Fair play.

[Simonb]

not that I want to cause a argument but what lower league players?

2 left backs neither who got a game?

And knocky from France who was being looked at by Newcastle.

Other than that he shops at man utd reserves.

vardy is the only one whos come from down the leagues and that cost us a million.

if I've missed a few please let me know.

in his first tenure he signed dyer morrisson etc all of whom were first team regulars

not sure hoe to reply on this sorry

[Leicester_lad_92]

Wouldn't say boring at all, and never have. It's his way of dealing with things, and people don't seem to realise he's clever keeping the media off his players, and keeping things in perspective. He's also a genuinely top bloke off the field that people don't get to see, & clearly the morale is good within the group, to say boring is. A tad harsh...sound like a hull fan;) 'boring boring Leicester'

[Aus Fox]

never gonna get anywhere near MON I'm afraid. L1 title great. If we win the championship fine maybe thats a slightly better achievement than a play-off win. But mon did that after about 11 games. So lets call that an equal achievement.

But pearson is never gonna lead us to 3 finals and 2 trophies. The game has changed. The top clubs win everything now. Wigan exempt. But the top 4 are there or there abouts nowdays.

and even if people can quote this in 5 years time to prove me wrong. My guess is pearson will have spent a lot more than mon got.

lets be fair dd cost more than muzzy. Morgan more than lennon.

wood more than claridge, marshall and cottee.

marshall more than savage.

so it will always be relative.

for the record I am a big np fan for everything he has done. L1 was great. Tidy up svens mess decent. Cardiff fun. Last year decent. This year ok so far.

Birmingham, Swansea and Wigan have all own cups recently and Bradford, Stoke, Cardiff, Portsnouth have made cup finals so it's not impossible to think if we get up we could challenge for a cup.

I'm pretty sure Claridge cost more than Wood? Didn't Wood cost a million and Claridge 1.2mil

You could also point out that

Eadie cost more than Knockaert

Gunalaguson cost more than Matty James

Frank Sinclair cost more than Morgan

An Graham Fenton cost more than Vardy

It's all relative and how you use the figures.

Richie De Laet, Matty James, Waysl, Dyer, Vardy, Knocky, Jack Hobbs, Morrison who had heard of any of these before they came?

Izzett was Chelsea's reserves, Savage had been released by Man Utd and Lennon by Man City.

I am not saying at the minute Pearson is better than O Neil but to say he's got no chance is just plain crazy.

[J.Lisemore]

Obviously MON has been the most successful manager we've had but Pearson can't be too far off in terms of being one of our best... baring in mind he had taken over a sh*t team at the lowest point of our club history and instilled a winning mentality into the side, people will say "well, Leicester should have won League One anyway because they're a massive club" but its easier said than done...I suppose I just don't understand the negativity towards him. We all know he's made mistakes with substitutions in the past and obviously the 2nd half of last season was a disaster, but hopefully with that experience...he's learning from that and we can push on.    

[sylofox]

Personally I fail to see how anyone can compare NP to MON at the moment.

 

MON

1 playoff win

4 top flight top 10 finishes

2 league cup wins

1 league cup runner up

2 trips into europe

 

NP

div 1 championship

2 playoff semi's

 

If we go up he will find it harder to stay up nxt season than get us up this season.

This is not me having a dig as i would love him to surpass MON.

But at the present time I do not see him anywhere close to MON. (But yes the best since MON)

NP has given us some great times and hopefully better are just around the corner.

But he needs to prove himself in the prem before he can be rated against MON imo also can he build a squad to keep us up.

He will have to spend praps nxt month but for definite in the summer lets hope the rumours about him and big money players is just a rumour.

 

But before then lets just hope he adds another Championship to his list.

[foxfanazer]

Doesn't need comparing to MoN. He's his own man who is doing a very good job for us. Football has changed rapidly since MoN was here so any comparison is unfair really.

[C-man]

Stupid to make the comparison as the times have changed beyond recognition. It's like saying MON was greater than Peter Hodge or Matt Gillies.

In my opinion, given the times and the dire straits we were in when NP took over (twice), he can rightfully be called one of our best ever. I absolutely love the guy and will forever be thankful as he gave me my favourite season supporting Leicester ever.

King Nige.

[Bayfox]

I cant double quote on my phone.

morrison I forgot about. Decent player never should have been let go by sven.

but dyer had been at west brom, hobbs liverpool, so I had heard of them.

vardy was being linked with clubs all over the place.

As for the list of mon v pearson signings. Delaet,james,dd all ex utd trainees. This goes back to my point in the millwall thread/beckford debate. Its as if football outside the kp doesnt exist and we base all football judgement on games involving us.

some of us do watch games other than leicester.

I think the original point has been missed. It will cost pearson a hell of a lot more due to market values to get anywhere near what oneill did.

frank sinclair may have cost more than morgan. But he achieved more here than wes has so far and I think sinclairs cabinet had a bit more than wes's in as well.

all I said was that pearson will struggle to get anywhere near mon in terms of status at this club.

as people have mentioned he's more akin to little at the minute.

maybe a 10 year stint with a decent time in the top flight will see me proved wrong.

[Bluearmy 316]

Can't we just be pleased we are top of the league playing some of the best football in years with a quality manager in charge. As for the argument of Pearson not being better than mon how can anyone predict remember we have rich owners + stupid amount of tv money if we get to the premier who's to say they wouldn't give Nigel a massive transfer war chest so you can't really compare where the club was then and were it is now mon worked with minimal funds. At the moment Nigel is our biggest asset I don't care if he sounds dry gives nothing away or has a go at stringer in fact I like him for that he has the clubs best interests at heart. I seriously wish the owners would offer him a 10 year contract like Bolton did with big sam.

[foxfanazer]

Can't we just be pleased we are top of the league playing some of the best football in years with a quality manager in charge. As for the argument of Pearson not being better than mon how can anyone predict remember we have rich owners + stupid amount of tv money if we get to the premier who's to say they wouldn't give Nigel a massive transfer war chest so you can't really compare where the club was then and were it is now mon worked with minimal funds. At the moment Nigel is our biggest asset I don't care if he sounds dry gives nothing away or has a go at stringer in fact I like him for that he has the clubs best interests at heart. I seriously wish the owners would offer him a 10 year contract like Bolton did with big sam.

Agree with all of this except offering him a 10 year contract. Not worth the paper they're written on

[Jacnah]

If he gets us promoted he'll be on the same level as Brian Little. He's nowhere near MON yet. Not even close.

People seem to forget that we're on our longest spell outside of the top tier ever. We are a big club for this league. Promotion is what you'd expect from any decent manager. It takes a good manager to keep us up, a superb manager to finish top-ten in the prem and win trophies.

Pearson hasn't even met the criteria for 'decent' yet so let's not get too excited.

I agree with the fist point and i wasnt aware this was the longest we had been out of the top league. I think, more than anything, it points to how difficult it isto find a good manager and how reliant any manager is on finding themsleves in circumstances that allow them to succeed if they have the talent. A good manager in bad circumstances will not succeed. A bad manager in  excellent circumstances may appear to be better than they are.

 

I also think that MON success as, measured by trophies and league position, is going to be a hard one for any manager to beat. The premiership is not the same league as it was in 1997; perhaps win ratios are better measures of comparison between them

[Babylon]

I cant double quote on my phone.

morrison I forgot about. Decent player never should have been let go by sven.

but dyer had been at west brom, hobbs liverpool, so I had heard of them.

vardy was being linked with clubs all over the place.

As for the list of mon v pearson signings. Delaet,james,dd all ex utd trainees. This goes back to my point in the millwall thread/beckford debate. Its as if football outside the kp doesnt exist and we base all football judgement on games involving us.

some of us do watch games other than leicester.

I think the original point has been missed. It will cost pearson a hell of a lot more due to market values to get anywhere near what oneill did.

frank sinclair may have cost more than morgan. But he achieved more here than wes has so far and I think sinclairs cabinet had a bit more than wes's in as well.

all I said was that pearson will struggle to get anywhere near mon in terms of status at this club.

as people have mentioned he's more akin to little at the minute.

maybe a 10 year stint with a decent time in the top flight will see me proved wrong.

I'm not even sure what you are attempting to prove with this "it'll cost him more", "his signings cost more", of course it would and of course it will. Value's have rocketed.

Your other rubbish about the type of player signed also makes little sense. You go on about Pearson signing kids from Man U, and seemingly ignore the fact Izzet was, Savage and Lennon had been all on the books of big clubs.

[6ups 6downs 2 cups]

End of the day, we can only judge Pearsons reign when he is no longer in charge, could be 6 months could be 6 years. Lets enjoy the moment, because reading some of these comments Pearson will be a failure if he doesn't get us up this time around and others appear to suggest he will be found wanting if he does get is up by not getting us in the top ten of the PL, guy can't win!

For what it's worth I think he will be on par with Brian little if he gets us up, Martin O Neill was a freak of nature for us, much like Brian Clough was for derby and florist.

However we are Leicester City so trying to predict the future is an entirely pointless process so lets just enjoy the moment and remain cautiously apprenhensive and optimistic about the next few months!

Up the foxes!

[_Fatboyslow_]

His interviews aren't even remotely boring anyway, to me.

The way he deals with Stringer is pure class

[_Fatboyslow_]

I said a long time ago that give him to Xmas. NP had a lot of things to deal with on his return and brought in young inexperience players, has sorted out older players and added a few old pros. It's now his squad playing his way. We are top still, clear by 4 time to give him a 12 month exstension. Even if we slip down into the playoffs I feel NP should be given the chance to manage without the current wage issues. As for intreviews I would rather hear NP than the guy in change at Liverpool whinging about a small squad and injures.

[For_Fox19]

Listening to his interviews with Stringer I just cringe, you do wonder why Stringer asks some of the questions he does, knowing what response he'll get.

Didn't he ask him for his thoughts on Sam Bailey winning the Xfactor?

 

Tough job though I guess, the Mercury have the same problem too getting info on first team matters, particularly signings thus  their back page articles are dull.

People say Nige isn't good with the media, but I would say he's very media savvy. I don't want the rest of the country knowing weeks in advance who we're looking to sign etc.

If you look at football manager across the board apart from Harry, they all like to keep signings quiet. Particularly when a club is doing well. When a club or manager is struggling they like to leak bits about potential signings through journalists to keep the fans on side.

 

I think the way we go about signing players under Nigel (Steve Walsh & Scouts) is very good, clearly a lot of handwork is done on these deals & keeping their agents quiet must be half the battle.

Very few fans on this board slag off the Pearson signings regularly, so i'd say he's getting it right.

 

He does offer up info to the media on injuries during the weeks lead up to a game, which is unusual for some managers.

 

He has a dry sense of humour. 'We go to Paris'.........

[Bayfox]

I'm not even sure what you are attempting to prove with this "it'll cost him more", "his signings cost more", of course it would and of course it will. Value's have rocketed.

Your other rubbish about the type of player signed also makes little sense. You go on about Pearson signing kids from Man U, and seemingly ignore the fact Izzet was, Savage and Lennon had been all on the books of big clubs.

try reading all my posts again.

I'm not trying to prove anything. I rate pearson and the job he does. But he seems to only shop in morrisons. Using the same old system.

I accept market values have changed.

and not that it really matters but muzzy was the only one plucked from a reserve team. Compared to hobbs,cleverly, delaet, james,dyer etc.

the theory pearson shops in the lower leauges is a myth.

my only point was that pearson would need to spend the best part of 40million and maybe more to get where oneill got us on a spend of just 7 or 8million in one summer.

if anything you think kasper(granted not a pearson signing) wes, dd, james, wood etc can hold a candle to keller, flowers, elliot, sinclair, muzzy, lennon, cottee etc.

please tell why instead of just picking select parts off a string of posts whos newer to foxes talk and whos opinion doesnt fit with yours.

I've watched enough of leicester to make an informed judgement not based on nostalgia.

Maybe pearson has his hands tied due to ffp. But mon had them tied due to common sense. Apart from knocky who was prob scouted by walsh and had been watched by others.

when has pearson really pulled of a transfer master stroke.

I'm not looking to slag him off I just think has miles to go before he gets anywhere close to mon.

how is your ivory tower?

[DANGEROUS TIGER]

DT.. I've found your posts far more balanced this season. And I agree with you. Pointing out what most people felt last season (ie that we'd blown a great chance of getting automatic promotion) isnt being negative, its being honest.

Last season you dismissed Pearson a little to readily (I think thats fair?).. this season you, like me, wanted to give the man a real chance. Fair play.

Yes. At the end of the day we all want City to do well, despite all the controversial posts. I guess we all see things from a different perspective.

 

Pearson is doing a fine job this season, and appears to demonstrate more confidence than previously. Good on him.

[MooseBreath]

Stupid to make the comparison as the times have changed beyond recognition. It's like saying MON was greater than Peter Hodge or Matt Gillies.

Couple of people have said this, but for me the times haven't changed that much at all. It's still the same game with the same rules. The quality of the prem and the championship is still about the same and the gap between them still the same. We're still the same club with about the same level of resources relative to other clubs. It still takes the same shrewd signings and the same high quality man management to achieve anything with a club like Leicester.

More similarities than differences imho. Comparisons with MON perfectly valid.