Honestly..who can defend Pearson now

[Ricey]

Quite a few promoted teams sacked their managers early in the Premier League season that got them promoted early and were hounded for it in the press. However, it often worked. Megson and Di Matteo at West Brom, Hughton and Newcastle, Adkins at Southampton etc. Sometimes a manager just isn't equipped to keep a club in the Premier League, no matter how good they were in the Championship.

 

In hindsight we should have got rid before Christmas, but I admire and respect the faith the owners have shown him.

[nettle]

Between the moment he joined us and the end of the first premiership campaign he had spent not far off £9m. Which in 1996 / 1997 is a very decent amount of money.

What I was trying to get at was the expectations were lower then than now because the Thai's have got money there's no doubting that but the facilities are much better now. More season ticket holders as well, I think when we went up then we were happy to be there just to make the numbers up because we scraped up via the playoffs but now I was expected more. Also the way we won the championship last year you would think we could have done a lot better than we have but that's just my opinion.

[Merging Cultures]

I think I need to change my signature.

 

Currently:

In Leicester we like curries, we eat a lot of nan,
We used to eat masala, but now we eat panang,

Pearson is our leader, he tells us what to do,

He fights off lions 'n' tigers, and beats them with his shoe. - Merging Cultures, formerly BaltimoreBlue

 

I really don't see him as a leader at the moment. I used to enjoy his banter and that he is a tough straight talking guy. But now it seems a bit immature and unprofessional. I thought the same of Ferguson and others. One or two incidents are fine and funny, but it has gone beyond a joke.

 

I am sure he thinks he is picking teams that will win matches, but now we need him to really lead and make tough decisions if needed. Get down to the pitch and engage with the players. Urge them on. It is a little condescending and patronising to think that professional players need someone to do that. But I think this current team need it.

 

I think he sees himself as a modern leader. A thinker that uses data. What we need at the moment is a warrior, on the pitch and off it. Someone who will take matches by the scruff of the neck and win games. I don't think we have one of those at the club at the moment.

[Claridge]

Quite a few promoted teams sacked their managers early in the Premier League season that got them promoted early and were hounded for it in the press. However, it often worked. Megson and Di Matteo at West Brom, Hughton and Newcastle, Adkins at Southampton etc. Sometimes a manager just isn't equipped to keep a club in the Premier League, no matter how good they were in the Championship.

 

In hindsight we should have got rid before Christmas, but I admire and respect the faith the owners have shown him.

Respect the fact that they got it completely wrong and the foul mouthed yob is making us a laughing stock.

[cc_star]

Quite a few promoted teams sacked their managers early in the Premier League season that got them promoted early and were hounded for it in the press. However, it often worked. Megson and Di Matteo at West Brom, Hughton and Newcastle, Adkins at Southampton etc. Sometimes a manager just isn't equipped to keep a club in the Premier League, no matter how good they were in the Championship.

 

In hindsight we should have got rid before Christmas, but I admire and respect the faith the owners have shown him.

 

Southampton is the standout one

 

Adkins worked a miracle there over a couple of years... although it must be said he had unprecedented backing, but he did at least capitalise on it.

 

His sacking was astonishing because IIIRC Saints weren't even in the bottom 3, but that sort of foresight and lack of loyalty is unheard of... I don't think our owners know enough about football replicate that.

 

They wanted a 'name' so they got one, which anyone can do by throwing cash around... and when that didn't work their only names on the list were former managers in MoN & NP... A man displaced because they wanted a 'name' so badly.

 

Through this Southampton, will no doubt become a blueprint that other teams will follow

[Guest Col city fan]

I've always thought that this adage is very true:

It takes a lifetime to build up a reputation but a moment to shatter it.

I've always thought this is pretty relevant to footballers and to football managers.

Nigel Pearson came into this Premiership season with a big reputation. A sizeable stock value, so to speak..and quite rightly so. No one can dismiss the good he has done for this club.

But, his general performance this season, both on the field through his players and off the field due to his antics have kind of shattered that reputation somewhat, at least in my mind.

He's now got a few games, as have the players, to resurrect it, in my eyes.

Let's see what happens now.

[Hirsty The Blue 94]

I think it's painstakingly obviously to anyone with a brain that Pearson is here until atleast the end of the season. So just put aside this silly tit for tat rubbish, support the side until then and see where we end up. We are probably 90% down already, so a new manager now wouldn't change that. So instead of proudly chanting 'You're getting sacked in the morning' with 5 minutes to go against Hull when we are pressing for a goal change that to support for the players. 

[AjcW]

In fairness perhaps the Southampton example is a bit redundant.

 

They're blessed with one of the most successful academies outside of La Masia and Ajax, have been able to spend £10 mill plus on 6 or 7 key positions a season due to sales of said youngsters and seemingly have a never ending production line.

However this could be counterbalanced by saying, why haven't we seen a single academy product even make our bench in the last 2 or 3 years, even when we destroyed the league last year no one was given a chance in a competitive game!

 

If the Likes of Hamza and Hayden were at Southampton they'd have 4 or 5 first team appearances under their belt already this season. We seem to just never ever give it a chance, I mean look at the JPT when we were in that, even then I think it was only Hopper who got a game! (I may be wrong).

[Len Finsbury]

Let's face it, the only reason that prevents the decision to get rid of Pearson being unanimous is because of what he's done at the club so far.

 

When we re-appointed Pearson, I was disappointed. Whilst Sven didn't exactly work out as planned, I felt that the club had taken on a different philosophy. We were growing in stature and reputation, people were talking about us and it looked like we were going places. Pearson's appointment felt like a step back to me, back to some of that boring football that we played under him on occasions - mainly effective but let's not kid ourselves, some of it wasn't pretty. However, when he returned from Hull, his whole philosophy seemed to changed somewhat. He added a bit of flair to the team which had been lacking under his precious tenure, we attacked with purpose and especially last year, we were well worth the title. This was even present at the beginning of this season when he even admitted in interviews that we weren't going to sit back and be overawed by these big teams. This seemed to work well, but since that Man Utd win, we've stopped doing that. At the risk of getting spanked, we've sat back and played cautiously too often for my liking. Yes, we're unlucky losers, blah blah blah, but we hardly do enough to win games. 

 

What I would like to see, is Nigel remaining in place but with nothing to lode now, returning to that attacking football from last season and the beginning of this. Yes, you may have to adapt slightly to a better standard of team in the Premier League but the style of play that made you the outstanding team the previous year shouldn't need too much changing this year. We should be taking a few risks, abandon this 5 at the back nonsense, and go and try to win games. Ethos stage in the season, I'd rather see us go down fighting and mad maybe having a few drubbings as long as we've had a go. I really don't want to go down like we did under Ollie, where he sort of accepted it and let it happen.

 

So Pearson's had a bad season, and there's no doubting that, but what if the PL came a bit too quickly for him? What if, like his return from Hull, he learned from the experience, adapted his managerial style and improved because of it? It reminds me a little of the Brian Little promotion when, after Little had brought relative success to the club the previous years, we found ourselves struggling towards the bottom of the table. If Villa hadn't poached him, would we have wanted him to remain in charge with the task of an instant return? I think the majority of us would have. I sometimes think that people forget who we are and that a return to the PL after so long was always going to be difficult, even more so with an unexperienced manager and squad at PL.

 

Pearson's problem now is to get us firing again, his position will be judged over these remaining games. Relegation has pretty much been accepted now amongst the fans but let's not judge him on that alone, let's see if he has the nous to win the doubters over. I'd like to think that he CAN, but it's more a question of if he WILL.

[MC Prussian]

I think he is struggling, yes. It's apparent in his work, in that he's failed to settle on a clear idea of the way forward, and obviously apparent in some of the incidents we've seen. It's understandable, of course, and he may well pull himself together, come back and cope much better in the future. But I've never seen such an unsettled side, formation, so many unused signings, so many 'incidents' with media and fans, such poor form, so much blaming of his own players under Pearson as I have this season.

 

Part of my reason for wanting him to go now is that, in spite of the chance that he'll pull himself together, there are certainly no guarantees he'll be able to extricate himself from the situation enough to do that. He has established relationships with a lot of players, some of which have failed badly to do a job for him this year, and it will be hard to change these relationships - e.g. by stripping Morgan of the captaincy (if we did come up again, we wouldn't want to have to either change captain or play a 32/33 year old Morgan again all season long, switching formations to accommodate him), letting Konchesky go, finding a different vice captain and so on.

 

In the past he has been able to make difficult decisions like these, but it's also tended to hugely unsettle us. For instance in the 11/12 season. I think there will be an element of 'starting over' if we build again with one eye on what happens when/if we win promotion, and the decisions this time will be with squad members who he took a long time to gel into a cohesive unit.

 

All of this is quite apart from the fact that he failed to get it right last time, with a clear, steady approach and two-and-a-half years to build. Of course I'll back him fully if he's the man we choose, and of course he has shown he can improve as a manager as well (though not during the course of this season). I just feel that a manager at his lowest ebb, who didn't manage to 'finish the job' last time, and who tends to be a slow learner, might not be the right guy to freshen up our approach.

He was struggling at the start of his managerial career with us once we got back to the Championship, as well. It took him years to help us finding a way out of that league, a league so unpredictable and balanced (unlike the Premier League, I may add).

So I can't see why we can't give him the benefit of doubt of having to go through similar hardships in the Premier League and learning from it? Again, I wonder what people were expecting from a manager who had never had a full reign at the top level before?

 

Of course, it's easy to say and demand we'd continue where we left off at the end of the 2013/2014 campaign, but there was no guarantee that would be happening. Like I've mentioned before, I'm sure you can put a part of the blame on the manager, but not all of it, as we don't know why we signed the players that we did sign, who was truly responsible for signing them, why we didn't (or couldn't) strengthen in other areas last January or why the manager started switching formations (there can only be an elaborate guess because he lost confidence in some of the key players that helped us gain promotion).

 

I think even in the Championship, he did tinker with the formation at times. So that's nothing new, as well.

[Fox Ulike]

The biggest problem I have with Pearson is that the areas in which he needs to improve, he has shown no aptitude in improving his effectiveness. I must therefore conclude that he never will. To keep him would therefore be a waste of time. I will explain:-

 

He has always been able to prepare our teams well to play against the better opposition in each league we have played in. Man Utd, Arsenal, Man City, Liverpool etc this season. Derby, QPR, Burnley etc last season.

 

( It is pretty much a fact that you need to beat the best in your league to become champions ).

 

He does not now, nor at any time previously, have a clue how to beat the worst teams in the league we are playing in. That includes not just the Premiership this season, Burnley, QPR, Hull City, Sunderland, but also WBA and Newcastle and Villa away when they were really dreadful, it also includes the absolute dross in the two leagues below. This is a fact!

 

Conclusion, ( and I am trying to be both fair and honest ), going forward he does have the credentials to get teams promoted from the championship and could possibly do that again with some team or other.

 

He will never be able to keep a promoted side in the Premiership. He, for whatever reason, is totally inept against the weaker teams, in any league.

 

These things will never change. There is no point at all in retaining his services.

 

 

Good post and interesting point. I would give you a rep point but I’m holding back because of all the crap you usually write. J

 

But yeah you’re right. In the Championship we’d lose to weird lowly teams like Doncaster, Millwall and Peterborough over the last couple of years. Now this season we’ve shown up well against the big teams but been useless against most of the teams we need to beat.

 

Not sure what it actually proves, but he has struggled against the weaker teams…

[Fox Ulike]

He was struggling at the start of his managerial career with us once we got back to the Championship, as well. It took him years to help us finding a way out of that league, a league so unpredictable and balanced (unlike the Premier League, I may add).

So I can't see why we can't him the benefit of having to go through similar hardships in the Premier League and learning from it? Again, I wonder what people were expecting from a manager who had never had a full reign at the top level before?

 

Of course, it's easy to say and demand we'd continue where we left off at the end of the 2013/2014 campaign, but there was no guarantee that would be happening. Like I've mentioned before, I'm sure you can put a part of the blame on the manager, but not all of it, as we don't know why we signed the players that we did sign, who was truly responsible for signing them, why we didn't (or couldn't) strengthen in other areas last January or why the manager started switching formations (there can only be an elaborate guess because he lost confidence in some of the key players that helped us gain promotion).

 

I think even in the Championship, he did tinker with the formation at times. So that's nothing new, as well.

 

I think many people now wonder if Pearson has the capacity to learn from his mistakes.

 

If I felt he could learn, then I’d want him to stay next season. Unfortunately even if he did get us back up all I can see is another season of him trying 442 and his own weird formations and insisting that they are right and that everyone else is wrong.

[DANGEROUS TIGER]

I think many people now wonder if Pearson has the capacity to learn from his mistakes.

 

If I felt he could learn, then I’d want him to stay next season. Unfortunately even if he did get us back up all I can see is another season of him trying 442 and his own weird formations and insisting that they are right and that everyone else is wrong.

This is probably very true, and the same thought has been in my mind.

[Mark_w]

I think many people now wonder if Pearson has the capacity to learn from his mistakes.

 

If I felt he could learn, then I’d want him to stay next season. Unfortunately even if he did get us back up all I can see is another season of him trying 442 and his own weird formations and insisting that they are right and that everyone else is wrong.

 

Well he can learn from his mistakes, he's done so on multiple occasions in the past.

[Gerard]

I want Pearson sacked ASAP but I'd say he's the best manager we've had since O'Neiil.

 

No question of that for my money and we've had a few.

[st albans fox]

Having seen his tactics fail in Saturday, I'm keen to see what he does at the Lane.

We will be playing a team that needs to win. Really needs to win. A draw absolutely no good to them.

Should be fun!

[the-blue-wildabeast]

Well he can learn from his mistakes, he's done so on multiple occasions in the past.

Well he hasnt learnt too much this season so what makes you think over the summer its suddenly all going to sink in. He hasnt even been close to acceptable this season, and past success is far from a guarentee he will do well next season. Premier league or Championship you still have to be able to pick a formation and balanced side based on whats best to get a result, and I really cant see how people expect him to get it right next season after getting it so wrong almost every game this season.

[MC Prussian]

Well he hasnt learnt too much this season so what makes you think over the summer its suddenly all going to sink in. He hasnt even been close to acceptable this season, and past success is far from a guarentee he will do well next season. Premier league or Championship you still have to be able to pick a formation and balanced side based on whats best to get a result, and I really cant see how people expect him to get it right next season after getting it so wrong almost every game this season.

"He hasn't even been close to acceptable this season" in comparison to what exactly? In what relation? What do you use as a basis to judge this manager? And what were your expectations?

 

Maybe that'll serve us as a starting point for an interesting debate...

[SecretPro]

I think many people now wonder if Pearson has the capacity to learn from his mistakes.

 

If I felt he could learn, then I’d want him to stay next season. Unfortunately even if he did get us back up all I can see is another season of him trying 442 and his own weird formations and insisting that they are right and that everyone else is wrong.

 

That's how I feel. He's been making the same mistakes all season, he doesn't look like changing any of them any time soon. Unless he does literally shut himself away in a little box between training sessions and matches then he must be well aware of the criticisms from pundits and fans a-like. He either doesn't listen because he's not very open minded, or he doesn't want to listen because he thinks he's a cut above and 'Nige knows best'. Can't put my finger on it either way.

 

For anybody to think that Pearson will 'learn' from this in the summer is frankly ridiculous. He hasn't learnt jack shit since september watching us week in week out playing and day in and day out training.

[SecretPro]

"He hasn't even been close to acceptable this season" in comparison to what exactly? In what relation? What do you use as a basis to judge this manager? And what were your expectations?

 

Maybe that'll serve us as a starting point for an interesting debate...

 

You were expecting us to go down rooted at the bottom with a whimper then?

[the-blue-wildabeast]

That's how I feel. He's been making the same mistakes all season, he doesn't look like changing any of them any time soon. Unless he does literally shut himself away in a little box between training sessions and matches then he must be well aware of the criticisms from pundits and fans a-like. He either doesn't listen because he's not very open minded, or he doesn't want to listen because he thinks he's a cut above and 'Nige knows best'. Can't put my finger on it either way.

 

For anybody to think that Pearson will 'learn' from this in the summer is frankly ridiculous. He hasn't learnt jack shit since september watching us week in week out playing and day in and day out training.

Too stubborn to learn, Nigel knows best, all about 'game management' and 'fine margins'.................

[MC Prussian]

That's how I feel. He's been making the same mistakes all season, he doesn't look like changing any of them any time soon. Unless he does literally shut himself away in a little box between training sessions and matches then he must be well aware of the criticisms from pundits and fans a-like. He either doesn't listen because he's not very open minded, or he doesn't want to listen because he thinks he's a cut above and 'Nige knows best'. Can't put my finger on it either way.

 

For anybody to think that Pearson will 'learn' from this in the summer is frankly ridiculous. He hasn't learnt jack shit since september watching us week in week out playing and day in and day out training.

If he's been making the same mistakes all season, how come we've won four times already?

[SecretPro]

If he's been making the same mistakes all season, how come we've won four times already?

 

  Wowsers, we have won 4 times ALREADY, by MARCH. Is that a string of results? If he's learnt from those 4 wins why is there considerably distance between them? I don't understand your point?

 

Sorry, I should say - He's been making the same mistakes almost all season.

[the-blue-wildabeast]

If he's been making the same mistakes all season, how come we've won four times already?

Your clearly on the wind up. Four games, four games of which two were very lucky and could be argued strongly he got the team and tactics wrong as we were to be fair, a long way 2nd best and got very lucky. (Sorry if that doesnt fit in with your 'we've had no luck all season defence')

[MHC]

"He hasn't even been close to acceptable this season" in comparison to what exactly? In what relation? What do you use as a basis to judge this manager? And what were your expectations?

Maybe that'll serve us as a starting point for an interesting debate...

Are you completely insane?

If he's been making the same mistakes all season, how come we've won four times already?

Yes, that you are.