Should Big Nige be backed or sacked?

[Fox Ulike]

I think some of the things you are pointing out must be managerial error, then. E.g. doing well despite having no wingers.

 

But I'd prefer to see Nigel learn, get better, and make the necessary tweaks. On another thread someone said he needs a bit less of the 'we lost honourably' mentality and a bit more of the 'look, if we want to stay up then we have to do better', specifically as regards full backs (it seems everyone apart from them gets the blame). Other than that I'd broadly agree that there's quality in the squad.

 

For me, Pearson is a good manager who has made a lot of mistakes lately.  At present, he’s holding us back.

 

As others have said, the performances haven’t been that bad. It’s not like we’re getting hammered week after week. But to me, that indicates that the players are actually fairly capable, but the way that they are asked to play is limiting their effectiveness as a team.

 

Once we had won promotion last season Pearson experimented with the five-man midfield, eg in the home game against QPR. It seemed to go well and I thought he’d spend the Summer honing his players to play this new more defensive formation, which would benefit us in the Premier League. In fact, he purchased a new forward (Ulloa) with a reputation of being able to play up front on his own. Everything made sense.

 

For whatever reason, this just hasn’t happened.  And we now find ourselves in the bizarre position of trialling weird, new formations in the middle of the season. I mean, if the diamond is how we want to play, why didn’t we play it in pre-season as a test?

 

The recent drastic changes to formations haven’t helped anyone, and have just increase the nervousness and confusion evident on the pitch. We’ve now reverted to an attacking 442 almost in panic and desperation.

 

We were actually more defensive for most of last season with the 4411 with Nugent in the hole and Dyer tracking back. How can it be sensible to go ino the Premiership and think that we need to attack teams more than we did in the Championship??

 

Sacking Pearson wouldn’t achieve anything other than de-stabalising the club. However, if Pearson can’t find a sensible, balanced formation in which the players can thrive, then his time might have come.

 

The frustrating thing is that it’s not actually that difficult. 451 is a fairly common way to play and suits our strengths (good wide players) whilst protecting our weakpoints (the full backs). 

[sylofox]

WOW the vote surprised me only 20% want him sacked now.

 

So 20% of the forum seem to be able to put in 60% of post's that have anything to do with Nige.

I do hope if the few get there way it works out and we don't end up with another 10yrs of shite.

 

Some times better the devil you know is the right option.

[Monsell1976]

Nobody knows what the owners plans are, for all we know Pearson is gone in their minds, and are already shopping for a replacement before sacking him.

Or the have spoken to him, and are happy with his excuses for the results and performances, and results will improve, accept he/ they under invested in the summer, and have planned for worst case senario relegation with Pearson in charge, and go again next season.

Nobody knows the owners thoughts or intentions, what I would have thought is they would come out and publicly back him, or say the results must improve or else, the lack of silence will only fuel speculation.

For me if I was to guess, they would look very stupid, stating that they have a 3 year plan to be in the top six, and then watch a side play as they are, and get the results they are, and sit and do nothing.

I don't think anywhere in their 3 year plan, relegation was in the blue print.

[Monsell1976]

WOW the vote surprised me only 20% want him sacked now.

So 20% of the forum seem to be able to put in 60% of post's that have anything to do with Nige.

I do hope if the few get there way it works out and we don't end up with another 10yrs of shite.

Some times better the devil you know is the right option.

I hope the 80 percent are right, and we don't end up relegated, and spend years trying to get back.

Think the best all round is Pearson gets the players performing right and get some points on the board, at a quicker rate than the last two have come.

You talk like Pearson is the only one to save us, and if we dare sack him, we are ****ed.

[kingfox]

Of course people want to stay up, but it's not just a choice of get rid and we stay up, keep him and we go down.

 

I imagine the view point is that things are very close at the minute. We're not getting routed, we're 1 point worse off than Hull, QPR and Burnley, sacking him guarantees nothing (just as keeping him doesn't). So give him a go at keeping us up, give him and the players a chance to learn the league, give him a January window to add players to his squad now we can see who is and isn't working out. If the worst happens you still have a great set of Championship players and management.

 

Is that really such a ridiculous view point?

 

Personally without knowing what the owners know it's impossible for me to make the call. As certain information would swing me one way or the other. The way the owners have acted over the last couple of years I have a lot of faith in them to do what's right for them and to try and do what's right for the club.

 

This kind of thing always has varied opinions. Stick & hopefully we get out of this current mess, stick & get relegated put all our faith in him with no guarantees of going straight back up, sack him get someone in they keep us up happy days, or we sack him & the new manager does just as bad.

 

Things are very close, but still the football we have been playing hasn't been particularly great. I said this the other week, if we were playing well but losing I would have a bit of faith, but it's the fact we couldn't even score against the likes of West Brom & Sunderland at home is quite a concerning thing. We haven't been on the end of a thumping, but still our football hasn't been promising we have looked plain average.

 

January isn't an easy month to buy in, seems he struggled to attract certain players in the summer, and quite frankly with him in charge I can't see January being any different. A more experienced name who has been there and done it, might attract better players tbh.

 

Having a great set of Championship players probably won't keep us up, look at us now and you can easily pick off 5-6 players who aren't cut out for it, people seriously suggesting you would be happy to stick with the likes of De Laet & Konchesky until May? I wouldn't!

 

He has done wonders for this football club, but at certain times managers can only take a team so far, and that might be the case with Pearson.

[Webbo]

60% of me wants him out, 40% of me wants him to stay. Really want him to turn this around but I'm beginning to doubt that he will.The next 2 games are massive.

[C-man]

Heartening to see such 'support' even now although I suspect in two or three games' time the percentages will be closer to the reverse.

I am a staunch Pearsonite and whilst I accept his faults, I will be forever grateful to him for turning our Club's fortunes around. When he took over we were at our lowest ever ebb so in contrast this is a walk in the park to bear.

Some people seem to have a personal vendetta against the bloke - going way back to his first really successful spell. I'm convinced it's his attitude towards the media but because I am not warped into thinking football managers should be divulging everything that is happening at the club, I can never claim to understand it.

If everyone took a step back and thought about football being the long-run game that it is, maybe they'd see the progress that has been made under NP since June 2008 rather than the two difficult months we've just had. I have no reason to believe that if NP is able to see out his contract, we would not be in a better position than when he took over. And that is progress.

One Nigel Pearson.

[Buzzell]

Back, sack and crack.

[blueoveru]

somebody tell him to stop tinkering.........try and get 11 men in whatever system is comfortable with there style of play and stick with them, it is not bad luck we are talking about here its having confidence in the play and confidence in the system, stopping the  chopping and changing might well give player's more settled idea's and could well benefit of the  team overall.

[Wilson_6]

Back, sack and crack.

 

Is it just me who always ends up watching your gif for a good 10 minutes?

[MHC]

But you can't guarantee it though, we had all this before when we went on a bad run. "The owners haven't spent all this money to finish 6th" stuff, they stuck with him knowing very well it might not get any better than that. Especially as he had to cut costs to comply with FFP.

The owners to my eyes have placed particular importance on running the club on a sound financial footing. Sacking managers and their team, bringing in managers who will no doubt want to rip everything up and bring in their own men doesn't really sit with that. They got their fingers burnt before sacking managers and throwing money at things, chasing a dream and it cost them to the tune of £100m.

So I'm not so sure it's as cut and dry as they being your average ruthless foreign owner.

It is common sense to want to stay in the Premier League otherwise what is the point? They may as well have not bothered purchasing the club. They have said from day one that the target is to get to the Premier League and stay there, they said it before the season started. Football is a business based on results and if our current predicament doesn't improve they will sack Pearson. Business has no place for sentimentality and although I would not be pleased to see Pearson go, I wouldn't be particularly saddened either. For me staying in the Premier League is critical and far more important then sticking with Pearson for sentimental reasons. I've had enough of the Championship, I don't want to go back so if staying up at the expense of Nigel Pearson is what it takes then so be it. Of course it is a gamble whatever we do, stick or twist? Stick with Pearson and we gamble our Premier League status. Twist and replace him with another manager and it is the same outcome except the successor will probably have more experience in turning around a club like Leicester's fortunes in this league. If we are to replace him it needs to be before the transfer window so it's a matter of urgency for me. If Pearson is still in charge come January 1st then I would rather we stuck by him no matter what happens but at the moment I am edging towards getting Pulis in.

[TheUltimateWinner]

I don't know how you can choose one man over the good of the club.

 

That being said, I will back him, but not to the extent where we're sticking with this guy when the better option is to sack him.

[lestajigs]

Even when losing on Saturday, NP had his name chanted a few times and rightly so.

Oh right, haven't been away this season,

[6ups 6downs 2 cups]

I can only see the fans really starting turn if we give a feeble display at Villa and lose, it will be a crap atmosphere, sort of game we need to win given our current results.

[Buzzell]

Is it just me who always ends up watching your gif for a good 10 minutes?

Mesmerising isn't it.

[Guest Col city fan]

Back, sack and crack.

Mucky sod!

[tylesta]

Beat Liverpool and he'll be in the running for England manager AGAIN

[sylofox]

I hope the 80 percent are right, and we don't end up relegated, and spend years trying to get back.

Think the best all round is Pearson gets the players performing right and get some points on the board, at a quicker rate than the last two have come.

You talk like Pearson is the only one to save us, and if we dare sack him, we are ****ed.

Not At All.

 

But in his first spell he did nothing wrong.

In his second spell he had one bad spell and fans wanted him out for him to come back and prove everyone of them wrong.

He is now in the top division for the first time like many of our players. He like most of our fans thought we would rip this up. (some did not)

To start with people would have been happy with 2pts from the first 6 games and he got 8.

So because we did people were talking europe and him going to Newcastle or even England.

 

People that kept a little level headed knew it would not last and would end at some point.

Just a shame that people can not give it time 1pt of 17th and we are not getting battered week in week out.

Going into Jan Nige will know what he needs and wants he's seen the short comings of this squad.

 

But hey lets sack him bring in a new guy and let him sort out a squad he don't know.

Then we end up getting battered and going down heavy so lets sack him then a new guy and more squad destruction and so it goes.

By getting rid we risk 10yrs like the last 10 and the only high spots in all 10yrs were given us by Nigel not the other 10 managers we had.

Not including this summer nige has not spent the most money even.

 

If we were getting dicked 3, 4, or 5-0 every week yes I would want him gone.

He also seems to have learnt as he seems to have finished with his diamond.

[ealingfox]

Even when losing on Saturday, NP had his name chanted a few times and rightly so.

 

While that's true, his subs on the hour mark were roundly booed and that's the first time I've seen something like that against Pearson for a long time.

[Benji]

I'm pleased to see the vote doesn't reflect the posts.

[Guest MattP]

Just goes to show again the silent majority should never be underestimated.

Those who shout loudest often don't represent the majority.

[Tommeh]

86% says it all, similar story to June 2013, the small minority making all the noise, kicking and screaming wanting him out. I even seem to remember an apology thread this May where some of you swallowed your pride and admitted how wrong you were about NP.

You were made to look like tits back then and fingers crossed you will again.

[Christoph]

Keep him. I can't see any manager coming in and rescuing us now. 

[Guest Col city fan]

Not At All.

But in his first spell he did nothing wrong.

In his second spell he had one bad spell and fans wanted him out for him to come back and prove everyone of them wrong.

He is now in the top division for the first time like many of our players. He like most of our fans thought we would rip this up. (some did not)

To start with people would have been happy with 2pts from the first 6 games and he got 8.

So because we did people were talking europe and him going to Newcastle or even England.

People that kept a little level headed knew it would not last and would end at some point.

Just a shame that people can not give it time 1pt of 17th and we are not getting battered week in week out.

Going into Jan Nige will know what he needs and wants he's seen the short comings of this squad.

But hey lets sack him bring in a new guy and let him sort out a squad he don't know.

Then we end up getting battered and going down heavy so lets sack him then a new guy and more squad destruction and so it goes.

By getting rid we risk 10yrs like the last 10 and the only high spots in all 10yrs were given us by Nigel not the other 10 managers we had.

Not including this summer nige has not spent the most money even.

If we were getting dicked 3, 4, or 5-0 every week yes I would want him gone.

He also seems to have learnt as he seems to have finished with his diamond.

A surprisingly well thought out, insightful post!

[Ian S]

He has at least the first 15/20 games next season for me even if relegated.