An Unsung Hero?

Into profile the Bristol City manager Nigel Pearson, who is revered in football as the coach who built the 2016 English Champions team Leicester City. So is Pearson an unsung hero? Is it time to right the wrongs, the insight. Pearson’s playing career come reputation as a tough tackling no nonsense defender came to fruition at Sheffield Wednesday appearing for the Owls with over 200 appearances during a seven year spell at the club 1989 to 1994. Nigel became an inspirational captain leading the Owls to a League Cup trophy lift in the 1990-91 season and gained promotion to Division 1 two seasons later.

During the 1994 season, Middlesborough came knocking with the captaincy role being given, it became clear that Nigel was a born leader. During the four year spell, a leading to two promotions and three domestic finals solidified the armband. Nigel’s playing career came to an end in 1998 and was fast tracked into management at Carlisle United during the same year. It has to be noted that Nigel appeared for Shrewsbury Town on 153 occasions to kick start his playing career, a Shropshire inductee. The managerial role at the Cumbrians lasted one season with the club staving off relegation to the non-leagues on the last day of the season. The next nine seasons came with Nigel employed in caretaker management roles alongside coaching capacities, clubs seemed reluctant to take a punt on Nigel whose abrasiveness, an intimidating figure, may have been the reasons. A man with a great knowledge of the game who would have rattled a few cages, to suggest the potato heads in the boardrooms.

In 2008 Southampton took that punt, but an inheritance of a sinking Saint’s ship lasted four months, and two months later Leicester City became aware of Pearson’s qualities and gave free reign, the manager’s position to a potentially gifted manager and so it transpired leading the Foxes to a club record 23 match unbeaten run gaining promotion to the Championship as League 1 Champions. The first season return to the Championship led to more records being stacked up. A ninety six points tally was amassed with four losses in a forty six game season haul. A full calendar year of remaining undefeated at home was another record breaker, the longest unbeaten run in the country, a showcasing of Nigel’s managerial talents.

Despite the success some boardrooms can feel threatened by a manager’s success particularly if the club’s owner wants to receive all the plaudits, a feeling of being marginalised can lead to a damaging effect on a club. Pearson for his part can have temperamental problems, to not suffer fools and incompetence. The owner Milan Mandaric who was driven by wanting a high profile and acclaim. Mandaric before in 1999 was the owner of Portsmouth, if you mentioned Portsmouth you would think of Mandaric, to suggest he craved the same at Leicester, Pearson in his mindset was stealing his limelight, exit Nigel, stupidity of course. Hull City quickly moved in and appointed Nigel as manager where another record was leading the Tigers to a fourteen away matches unbeaten run breaking a sixty six year old club record, financial difficulties bestowed the club with astute management leading the club to safety.

Pearson’s one year tenure at Hull led to Leicester City returning for their former manager for the 2011 season. The previous owner Mandaric had left the club. It took two seasons for Nigel to put his stamp, DNA back into the club and promotion was achieved to the Premiership, with the club hitting a hot streak of twenty unbeaten matches, another record, the hallowed turfs of the Premiership, just rewards for Pearson. The first season Prem syndrome proved arduous with Leicester becoming only the third club in history to escape relegation having been bottom of the League at Christmas. During this spell at the club, Nigel had a few altercations referring to a journalist as an ostrich and stupid, Nigel would not wind his neck in if faced with incompetence, the nature of the man, but his record speaks for itself, driven success.

The 2015 season led to Pearson being sacked with boardroom squabbles rearing its ugly head, the rest is history to be replaced by Claudio Ranieri with the club lifting the Premiership trophy the following season, a shock to the sporting world. The most impossible accomplishment in the history books? Possibly. Pearson was given credit for building the team, to suggest Ranieri reaped the rewards for the ground work that had been set in place. A one season stint followed at Derby County with the now disgraced former Derby owner Mel Morris sending drones to observe training sessions, perhaps the drones should have been sent to monitor Mel’s financial incompetence. Pearson had no choice but to leave, a leaving to other shores with two seasons at Oud-Heverlee Leuven in the Belgian First Division. Nigel was recalled to the Premiership for the last five months of the 2019-20 season with Watford making him their manager, the Hornets were looking doomed for relegation certainties. The reigns were taken and Pearson was guiding the club to safety and above the relegation spots, but again interference from the goon heads in the boardroom pulled the plug on Pearson’s tenure and the club setting the road to relegation. Nigel is currently the manager of Bristol City with the Robins, the cider army being favoured in some quarters with a return to the top flight barring any boardroom interference, lessons to be learned. One of Nigel’s pursuits, no not club owners, is hiking having once encountered a pack of wild dogs, needless to say, the dogs did a runner. Nigel wears his strength of will and determination, it’s on the badge, Nigel Pearson.