Pearson has to go!

[Col city fan]

I sorry if I don't cover it all, but there is a lot to digest in your post, and it's getting late.

For the record, I don't want him to be sacked, and after last season he deserves a shot.

My comment is about performance, couldn't really disagree with your comments on the results, the issue I had was, prior to the Sunderland game and since the palace game, he became more concerned with stopping the opposition, matching them, and playing with 4 central midfielders, and eliminated any threat we have, and watching it felt like we wouldn't score and we cannot keep clean sheets so it only a matter of time before we lose.

For me, if we are going to lose, at least give us a chance, if we had lost Saturday, yes I would have been gutted, but at least we created enough to win the game ourselfs.

We are seriously lacking in quality and the summer transfer market is looking like a poor showing from us, the question is we have owners who are very wealthy, why wasn't more spent on adding quality, is it they don't want Pearson to have the money, or Pearson made a mistake and trusted what he had was good enough, there must be a reason we spent so little.

As for tony pullis, he would be a short term answer, not quite sure if Pearson is the long term answer, but time will tell.

I must fit in the never really liked him, but I'm not over reacting, and I'm defiantly not calling for him to go after half a dozen dodgy results.

I'm not a fan of mid season changes in managers, but I hope the money is there in January and we bring some quality in.

As for the goal drought, as I said earlier in this post, a lot of it was playing with no creative intent caused most of the time without the goals, but after Saturday I'm more convinced now we played with width and balance, the amount we created, one has to go in soon.

To end, I will probaly never like Pearson as much as you, but I do want him to succeed as much as you, purely for the clubs benifit, believe it or not, wether we all agree or disagree about Pearson, or how we all see the way we play from different perspectives, we all want to stay up and the future of the club to be safe, as we cannot afford to be in the championship with the debts it was creating.

As much as I agree with Mark's post, I tend to agree with this one more. A few posters (Babylon?) made a great point after the first few games, that we kinda played the 'better sides' at exactly the right time. World Cup, squads reassembling etc, finding their best teams, finding some form. We were bouyed by our promotion, looking to come out of the blocks quickly and running on adrenaline.

But the Prem is a sly temptress. You get drawn into thinking you actually aren't bad at this level, then bang..you lose a few and start sweating.

I think its about QUALITY of player. Sure....tactics, motivation, managerial acumen are all important. But in the final analysis, IMO, thats all a sideshow compared to actually whether or not your players prove to be good enough at this higher level. I think a much higher level.

I have a feeling we just won't have enough players of sufficient quality to really kick on. I hope they prove me wrong. What we need to do is to stick in their, keep Nige and aim for 17th. That should be our aim. THEN we can really make a fist of it.

[Monsell1976]

Maybe - or maybe not.

Our scouting team has very often shown the ability to unearth a real gem here and there and add the right players in the right positions for relatively little money over the past few years.

Personally, I hope we can refrain from overspending and do some shrewd business.

But of course, we'll only be able to judge that comes May.

I know where you coming from, but January isn't a cheap window, and getting in unknown talents, may be to risky.

Personally I would look at bringing premier league quality on loan, there are plenty not getting games at their clubs, who could improve us, it's just wether they would want to come.

[Babylon]

Hopefully Pearson has seen the light some what after his tinkering. He seemed to be trying to solve a problem that hadn't really presented itself yet, hopefully Saturday gives us a foothold to start building again.

 

History is littered with teams who have come up and started brightly only to fade away, so it's no real surprise that it happened with us. It's also not a surprise that we don't have as much quality as other teams. Look at what teams like Sunderland, Hull, QPR and even someone like Villa have spent over the last 2/3 years and it would leave us looking somewhat bargain basement, yet they are all around us in the table.

 

We need to keep ticking over until January when we can try and add some extra attacking quality, especially with us losing Mahrez. It won't be easy, it wasn't easy to do that in the Summer, but another bit of quality on the wing and up front could make all the difference.

[Fox92]

Does he just have trouble motivating the players after bad results?

 

I'd say not given what we've been through previously. Not talking about the ridiculous long run of bad results, but last season for example we lost two on the bounce - Brighton and Sheffield Wednesday - before breaking all those records. He's answered these questions before, I don't see why he can't do it again.

[DANGEROUS TIGER]

I don't think I've ever called anyone a Pearson hater? (Other than Babylon sarcastically). And what I'm complaining about here is the hypocrisy of complaining about those insults when you yourself (in this case I'm talking about Col) have been guilty of insulting people because they're 'pro' or 'anti'. The issue isn't that Col was insulting people (I really don't care too much about that - as long as people are willing to apologize for it when they're categorically proven wrong) my problem is that right now he's being a hypocrite.

 

He continues to miss that point though, so I doubt we're going to get anywhere with this.

Where do I say you did? I mentioned no specific names. You're jumping to conclusions, yet again.

[Mark_w]

Where do I say you did? I mentioned no specific names. You're jumping to conclusions, yet again.

 

Well you were quoting me, and it certainly looked like you were implying I was guilty of doing that. Col also felt the need to point out I wasn't guilty of doing that, so it obviously looked to him like you were accusing me as well.

[DANGEROUS TIGER]

Maybe - or maybe not.

 

Our scouting team has very often shown the ability to unearth a real gem here and there and add the right players in the right positions for relatively little money over the past few years.

Personally, I hope we can refrain from overspending and do some shrewd business.

But of course, we'll only be able to judge that comes May.

They didn't unearth any in the sommer, so don't hols your breath that they will do so in the January window.

 

Still. we can all live in hope.

[Grewks]

Realistically, we should finish 19th.

 

 

 

Of course our expectations are higher, but realistically we are still currently above where we should be.

 

 

 

 

I've got to be honest, i'm already starting to see comparisons between us and west brom. Their first promotion they had 5-6 players capable at this level, so do we in morgan, moore, de laet, james, mahrez, ulloa.

 

We need time, if we go down we need to make sure we are in a better position than last season, then progress has still been made.

[MC Prussian]

They didn't unearth any in the sommer, so don't hols your breath that they will do so in the January window.

 

Still. we can all live in hope.

I'll look back and do the summer spending and signings judgement comes May, not after twelve games into the season - with many of the signings not having played at all.

 

Maybe there's still time and hope for you to turn from a glass fully-empty to at least a glass half-empty kind of guy.

[Nick]

 

Maybe there's still time and hope for you to turn from a glass fully-empty to at least a glass half-empty kind of guy.

[DANGEROUS TIGER]

I'll look back and do the summer spending and signings judgement comes May, not after twelve games into the season - with many of the signings not having played at all.

 

Maybe there's still time and hope for you to turn from a glass fully-empty to at least a glass half-empty kind of guy.

Fine. You fill it up, and I will empty it.

[Brooksy]

capable at this level, de laet,

 

   

[Col city fan]

Fine. You fill it up, and I will empty it.

lol

[MC Prussian]

Fine. You fill it up, and I will empty it.

That's alright - tap water's on the house.

[doncht]

Who knows, out of the blue, things could turn around. 

[CountesthorpeFox]

I recently felt compelled to ring into 606 and defend Pearson as other Leicester fans were saying the fact he sat in the stands meant he wasn't passionate.

I got put on at the same time as someone called Dave.

He refereed to Pearson as arrogant. Now I would link it, but I cannot for the life of me find it, but there is a video of Nige's post Bolton de brief in the dressing room. The FIRST thing he makes reference to is a round of applause for the backroom staff. 

Nigel might be stubborn, uncharismatic and many other things people wish to chuck at him but to call him arrogant is simply rubbish. The man clearly has a decent set of morals and values. 

[Corky]

Dave used to (probably still does) pester the post match phone in on Radio Leicester wittering on about pointless, unimportant matters in the grand scheme of things. "Youngeh, do you fink we can to annundred points and nineteh goals this seasonn?" as though it was absolutely critical to the future of the club rather than just getting promotion. Youngy seemed to suggest it wasn't important but Dave was adamant it was.

 

Then last night he was prattling on about Pearson being arrogant for sitting in the stands. Yeah, ok. It might just be the case that the manerjoh gets a better picture of the game from a higher vantage point, but no, we need him bouncing around the touchline like Martin O'Neill used to do (another favourite topic of his, the great man despite the fact he left 14 years ago).

[UpTheLeagueFox]

Sitting in the stands was hailed by many phone in callers as a tactical masterstoke when we romped to the title last season. Now, as we're in a shocking run, it would appear NP doesn't have enough "pashun" because he sits there. The simple solution is not to listen to certain people on the wireless.

[CountesthorpeFox]

Sitting in the stands was hailed by many phone in callers as a tactical masterstoke when we romped to the title last season. Now, as we're in a shocking run, it would appear NP doesn't have enough "pashun" because he sits there. The simple solution is not to listen to certain people on the wireless.

exactly,

he also claimed that because we were currently bottom of the premier league that meant we were a championship team, but winning the championship with 102 points didn't mean we were a premier league team, which too me are two completely contradictory views. He is saying you can only extrapolate downwards but not up.

Dont get me wrong current form is worrying but nobody is relegated after 13 games.

 

[sylofox]

Sitting in the stands was hailed by many phone in callers as a tactical masterstoke when we romped to the title last season. Now, as we're in a shocking run, it would appear NP doesn't have enough "pashun" because he sits there. The simple solution is not to listen to certain people on the wireless.

Would that include yourself on TS?

[UpTheLeagueFox]

Would that include yourself on TS?

 

That goes without saying... 

[shade]

If it's how we lose, then I don't see how you can take much issue with many of our recent games. Swansea was woeful, Newcastle wasn't great but it wasn't a completely disastrous performance. Southampton are miles ahead of us so a 2-0 defeat there isn't really anything to be ashamed of I don't think, the West Brom defeat was a game that really could have gone either way. As for the two draws, Burnley we were minutes away from a win that I don't think Burnley could have complained about and yesterday neither side was great but if anyone deserved it it would probably have been us (based on both creating decent chances, but big decisions going against us). I'm not excusing those results, but if it's 'how we lose' then I don't think any of those games other than Swansea, when looked at individually, was a disaster.

Now if as you say you want to judge him on performances and results so far this season I'd say very simplistically (feel free to agree/disagree)...

Leicester 2-2 Everton (Good Performance, Good Result)

Chelsea 2-0 Leicester (Good Performance, Bad Result)

Leicester 1-1 Arsenal (Good Performance, Good Result)

Stoke 0-1 Leicester (Average Performance, Good Result)

Leicester 5-3 Man United (Good Performance, Good Result)

Crystal Palace 2-0 Leicester (Bad Performance, Bad Result)

Leicester 2-2 Burnley (Average Performance, Bad Result)

Newcastle 1-0 Leicester (Average/Bad - Wasn't there/didn't watch - Performance, Bad Result)

Swansea 2-0 Leicester (Bad Performance, Bad Result)

Leicester 0-1 West Brom (Average Performance, Bad Result)

Southampton 2-0 Leicester (Bad Performance, Bad Result)

Leicester 0-0 Sunderland (Average Performance, Average Result)

Personally I make it, 4 good, 4/5 pretty average and 3/4 bad performances. I'd be interested to see if you'd agree, but considering we're new to the division, we've got a squad assembled at a fraction of the cost of most of the other sides in the division, I don't think it's all doom and gloom. Or that that is all that bad.

I accept that goal scoring is an issue, I'd be surprised if it went on for an awful long time, and I think it'd be wrong to sack a manager based on that without taking into account their track record, the impact they've had since taking over, their league position in comparison to resources and expectations, and the level of performances.

As for judging managers on past glories, of course we should. It's the reason that if Pearson was to go, anyone with an ounce of sense would be calling for Tony Pulis, because he has a brilliant track record in these circumstances. But Nigel Pearson has a great track record at Leicester City, he's always achieved what the majority expected of him in a season, and he's turned poor runs like this around before. I've seen no convincing reason he shouldn't be given the chance to do that again, I've seen only two categories of fans wanting Pearson out right now. People reacting too quickly to a handful of poor results and people who have always disliked him and so are swayed to that side more easily. He also, I might add, has a track record of dealing with groups of players involved in relegation battles successfully. The Premier League is tougher yes, but that is worth something.

The truth is, we are a poor Premier League side, the reason for that is Nigel Pearson. Without him, we'd be an above average Championship side. The reality of being in the Premier League, when we haven't gone for it financially as a lot of the other teams, is that we're going to lose a lot. We're going to be in and around the bottom three all season. I know that the first five or six games upped the expectations a lot, because we did brilliantly, and the last five or six have brought everyone crashing down to earth because the results have been pretty poor. But right now, after twelve games, we're within touching distance of 17th place, no one expected much more at the start of the season. I think we should stop being ungrateful pricks and see if the manager who got us here, can have us sitting 17th at the end of the season, and then see if he can take us further with some proper investment in the future. I like to think that in the long term Nigel Pearson can take us further than Tony Pulis could, he and his team are very good at assembling squads (they built great League One/Championship teams - and while we can't compete with Southampton it looks like we were interested in Pelle which is promising). Personally I think the ambitious thing to do, and what I want to see, would be to let the unproven manager with a good track record below the Premier League, the manager who got us here, battle to survive in tough circumstances with a cheap squad and if we manage it see how far he can take us. Rather than bring someone in who has a track record of throwing millions at never being relegated and never doing much else. I appreciate that, that is a brilliant achievement on Pulis' part, but I genuinely believe Pearson is a better long term option. And I'm more interested in the long term.

correct.

[cuddly ken]

Not sure about NP being overly arrogant, to me he's seems not all there at times, particularly post game interviews.

It's like talking to someone who's had a few drinks, the lights are on but no ones at home.

[oxfordfox]

If it's how we lose, then I don't see how you can take much issue with many of our recent games. Swansea was woeful, Newcastle wasn't great but it wasn't a completely disastrous performance. Southampton are miles ahead of us so a 2-0 defeat there isn't really anything to be ashamed of I don't think, the West Brom defeat was a game that really could have gone either way. As for the two draws, Burnley we were minutes away from a win that I don't think Burnley could have complained about and yesterday neither side was great but if anyone deserved it it would probably have been us (based on both creating decent chances, but big decisions going against us). I'm not excusing those results, but if it's 'how we lose' then I don't think any of those games other than Swansea, when looked at individually, was a disaster.

 

Now if as you say you want to judge him on performances and results so far this season I'd say very simplistically (feel free to agree/disagree)...

 

Leicester 2-2 Everton (Good Performance, Good Result)

Chelsea 2-0 Leicester (Good Performance, Bad Result)

Leicester 1-1 Arsenal (Good Performance, Good Result)

Stoke 0-1 Leicester (Average Performance, Good Result)

Leicester 5-3 Man United (Good Performance, Good Result)

Crystal Palace 2-0 Leicester (Bad Performance, Bad Result)

Leicester 2-2 Burnley (Average Performance, Bad Result)

Newcastle 1-0 Leicester (Average/Bad - Wasn't there/didn't watch - Performance, Bad Result)

Swansea 2-0 Leicester (Bad Performance, Bad Result)

Leicester 0-1 West Brom (Average Performance, Bad Result)

Southampton 2-0 Leicester (Bad Performance, Bad Result)

Leicester 0-0 Sunderland (Average Performance, Average Result)

 

Personally I make it, 4 good, 4/5 pretty average and 3/4 bad performances. I'd be interested to see if you'd agree, but considering we're new to the division, we've got a squad assembled at a fraction of the cost of most of the other sides in the division, I don't think it's all doom and gloom. Or that that is all that bad.

 

I accept that goal scoring is an issue, I'd be surprised if it went on for an awful long time, and I think it'd be wrong to sack a manager based on that without taking into account their track record, the impact they've had since taking over, their league position in comparison to resources and expectations, and the level of performances.

 

As for judging managers on past glories, of course we should. It's the reason that if Pearson was to go, anyone with an ounce of sense would be calling for Tony Pulis, because he has a brilliant track record in these circumstances. But Nigel Pearson has a great track record at Leicester City, he's always achieved what the majority expected of him in a season, and he's turned poor runs like this around before. I've seen no convincing reason he shouldn't be given the chance to do that again, I've seen only two categories of fans wanting Pearson out right now. People reacting too quickly to a handful of poor results and people who have always disliked him and so are swayed to that side more easily. He also, I might add, has a track record of dealing with groups of players involved in relegation battles successfully. The Premier League is tougher yes, but that is worth something.

 

The truth is, we are a poor Premier League side, the reason for that is Nigel Pearson. Without him, we'd be an above average Championship side. The reality of being in the Premier League, when we haven't gone for it financially as a lot of the other teams, is that we're going to lose a lot. We're going to be in and around the bottom three all season. I know that the first five or six games upped the expectations a lot, because we did brilliantly, and the last five or six have brought everyone crashing down to earth because the results have been pretty poor. But right now, after twelve games, we're within touching distance of 17th place, no one expected much more at the start of the season. I think we should stop being ungrateful pricks and see if the manager who got us here, can have us sitting 17th at the end of the season, and then see if he can take us further with some proper investment in the future. I like to think that in the long term Nigel Pearson can take us further than Tony Pulis could, he and his team are very good at assembling squads (they built great League One/Championship teams - and while we can't compete with Southampton it looks like we were interested in Pelle which is promising). Personally I think the ambitious thing to do, and what I want to see, would be to let the unproven manager with a good track record below the Premier League, the manager who got us here, battle to survive in tough circumstances with a cheap squad and if we manage it see how far he can take us. Rather than bring someone in who has a track record of throwing millions at never being relegated and never doing much else. I appreciate that, that is a brilliant achievement on Pulis' part, but I genuinely believe Pearson is a better long term option. And I'm more interested in the long term.

 

I agree with most of your analysis, but not your conclusions.

 

If you examine our 'good performances', these were at the start of the season against teams suffering a World Cup hangover. After Man U we had found our level. And it isn't good.

 

If you bring in a new manager now he has December to assess the squad and bring in some new faces in January. Leave it too late and we are down.

[Babylon]

If you bring in a new manager now he has December to assess the squad and bring in some new faces in January. Leave it too late and we are down.

Several assumptions there.

 

Why not keep the manger you have, let him asses what we need now he's seen how they have performed in this league, let him add a few players to his squad. There are no cast iron guarantees either way, so making out we only have one option is ridiculous.