Pearson: I've always wanted my sides to entertain

[davieG]

For a number of years, Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson had a reputation for building well-organised, functional sides, set up first and foremost to be tough to beat.

Unspectacular and uncompromising, Pearson's sides were said to be about grinding out results rather than gripping the imagination.

City's performances over the last two seasons, and especially this campaign, are changing that perception.

Pearson revealed his philosophy has always been to win with a brand of entertaining football, he simply had not got the players to suit such a style.

City are eight points clear at the top of the Championship, playing some thrilling football in the process.

"I think if people wanted to label me as a manager, they would say my teams are organised and hard to beat, all that sort of jargon," he said.

"I do believe in organisation. As a manager, you have to work with what you have got.

"There is no point saying we are going to play attacking football if you don't have the players to do it."

Pearson once said that, during his playing days, he would rather have won a cup and been relegated than just have mundane mid-table obscurity, born from that Middlesbrough side's approach.

The City boss believes that positive mindset to winning games is now evident in his side.

"The comment I made about my Middlesbrough days was quite easy for me to make as a player," he said.

"But, in that dressing room, we went into every game thinking we could win it. Whether that was naive or not is neither here or there.

"The best side I have played in, at Sheffield Wednesday under Rob Atkinson, we didn't care who we played, top of the league or anyone else. We just went out there and expected to win.

"It is a mindset which is very important to have."

That mindset, to go out gunning for victory, has been a factor in City having drawn just four out of their 30 league games this season, and winning 21 – five more than their closest rivals for promotion.

"We have not been prepared to lose games, but we try to win every game and show a positive intent," said Pearson.

"That is not to say we didn't try to do that last season.

"This season we have a group of players who have a positive mindset.

"It won't always go our way, it can't, but what we try to do is take chances at the right time.

"The games at Bournemouth and Leeds were good examples. If we had come away from those places with a point, it would be a hard-won point.

"But we have had either the breaks or the quality to capitalise on incidents.

"We have lost more games than some of our rivals, but the draw column is relatively small at the moment.

"Ultimately, we go into games with a positive mindset."

Read more: http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/ve-wanted-sides-entertain/story-20634709-detail/story.html#ixzz2tNsrGQpK

[Arriba Los Zorros]

fair play. we wouldn't have got into the playoffs playing this sort of football with our 2009/10 side, you play to your strengths - smiple realy

[Unabomber]

I'm always entertained