Speculation Pearson is also prepared to offload a string of Sven Goran Eriksson signings

[indierich06]

I am not sure where this comes from but, if you are correct that promotion is no longer the over-riding aim, then I take back all that I have said: with a limited budget, Pearson is the right man to ensure that we stay reasonably well placed in the Championship.

Of course promotion is the main aim, the owners have said it often enough. Why do you believe that we need to splash money on big players and managers to win promotion from this league? Clubs have shown time and time and time again that you don't need big name players, big name managers or massive budgets to get out of this league and more often than not, the teams that spend big to get out of this league fail - the idea that this is the only way to do it is an absolute fallacy. We threw around £10 million quid at players, hired a well-regarded and highly successful club manager and where did it get us? Not even to where Nigel Pearson got us before the Thai owners arrived. Look at Reading, Blackpool, Cardiff, Birmingham... where were the tens of millions of pounds worth of investment there? Where are the big name managers there?

Under Nigel Pearson we achieved the highest league finish we've managed for years - since he left this football club has gone backwards significantly. Under Sven we spent a lot of money and achieved absolutely nothing. This season was a rebuilding job after Sven's failure to leave us with a balanced squad due to his scattergun summer spending, so I didn't really expect us to be promoted after the total upheaval, but we still only narrowly missed out on a playoff spot.

Why aren't you willing to afford Pearson a chance? Who is out there who could provably do a significantly better job than Pearson? I've already said, I don't think he's perfect - he's signed a few rubbish players in the past, he's often quite stubborn, but I honestly believe there is no-one better for the job at the minute.

 

[Redditch Fox]

Oh dear - two points: You cannot have an antithesis, it has to be the antithesis. Secondly, to be given your marching orders means to be told to leave (take it from a very old soldier!) and I don't want Nige or Nuge to be given their marching orders thank you!

Thank you for your first point - but can't accept your second: " marching orders" can mean being told to "**** off" but it can also mean where your boss wants you to go/ tactics to deploy - as in battle strategy. At least I believe this to be the case - unless of course I was being told to **** off on a recurring basis. Surely that couldn't have been the case?

 

[Feriol]

Under Nigel Pearson we achieved the highest league finish we've managed for years - since he left this football club has gone backwards significantly. Under Sven we spent a lot of money and achieved absolutely nothing. This season was a rebuilding job after Sven's failure to leave us with a balanced squad due to his scattergun summer spending, so I didn't really expect us to be promoted after the total upheaval, but we still only narrowly missed out on a playoff spot.

I agree with most of your post, except the highlighted bit. Our Play-off bid was over weeks before the end of the season, i think we were a long way from being contenders this season.

I believe Pearson will get us promoted, but having fallen short by some distance this year, i worry that a less than impressive start to the new season might lead to him being dismissed.

 

[Redditch Fox]

I agree with most of your post, except the highlighted bit. Our Play-off bid was over weeks before the end of the season, i think we were a long way from being contenders this season.

I believe Pearson will get us promoted, but having fallen short by some distance this year, i worry that a less than impressive start to the new season might lead to him being dismissed.

Spot on. The play offs were out of the window for some time with the hype only kept going by the club marketing machine & the Leicester Mercury. This hype dependent on all the front runners collapsing and the teams between us and the play off spots helpfully deciding lose most games.

We finished 9 points & GD off the pace - which tells it all.

Pearson is definitely vulnerable - the owners don't seem to be particularly grounded in reality and good well throw the dice again if things start poorly.

 

[gregs_y2k]

Of course promotion is the main aim, the owners have said it often enough. Why do you believe that we need to splash money on big players and managers to win promotion from this league? Clubs have shown time and time and time again that you don't need big name players, big name managers or massive budgets to get out of this league and more often than not, the teams that spend big to get out of this league fail - the idea that this is the only way to do it is an absolute fallacy. We threw around £10 million quid at players, hired a well-regarded and highly successful club manager and where did it get us? Not even to where Nigel Pearson got us before the Thai owners arrived. Look at Reading, Blackpool, Cardiff, Birmingham... where were the tens of millions of pounds worth of investment there? Where are the big name managers there?

Under Nigel Pearson we achieved the highest league finish we've managed for years - since he left this football club has gone backwards significantly. Under Sven we spent a lot of money and achieved absolutely nothing. This season was a rebuilding job after Sven's failure to leave us with a balanced squad due to his scattergun summer spending, so I didn't really expect us to be promoted after the total upheaval, but we still only narrowly missed out on a playoff spot.

Why aren't you willing to afford Pearson a chance? Who is out there who could provably do a significantly better job than Pearson? I've already said, I don't think he's perfect - he's signed a few rubbish players in the past, he's often quite stubborn, but I honestly believe there is no-one better for the job at the minute.

There's plenty of better manager's out there on paper. Whilst I consider him to be a decent manager, you seem to forget that as yet, Pearson has failed to get a club promoted from this division. There were other manager's out there at the time of his appointment that had this experience, which in my opinion makes them better for the job.

 

[David Gwilliam]

I would be pissed off if we offloaded Beckford, I think he actually tries very hard the majority of the time, he's seriously grown on me since his disgraceful showing at Upton Park.

I went on the Beckford page of Wikipedia to check his goal tally and got the message "Internet Explorer has stopped working" This has never happened when looking up any other player. I feel this has to be somehow significant.

It is difficult to remember the last player to divide fans as much as Beckford. People like Greg, Lako and Matt whose views I respect support him. This I find incomprehensible. I accept that his goal tally in cup games was excellent. In League matches he scored 9 in 39 matches. This does not necessarily condemn him since players like Heskey were not prolific goalscorers - but he does nothing else.

He has not always been the worst player in the team - Mills and Pantsil had some shockers. However, every game I have seen him in - almost all home games - he has contributed nothing except the 9 goals. His lack of aggression must make him a delight for centre backs to play against. I have some sympathy for players like Nicky Adams who gave everything and put their head among flying boots but just were not talented enough. Someone who seems so wary of "nasty" defenders I find irritating.

Few people now remember Stan Cullis the Wolves manager of the 1950s. He won the First Division with a Wolves team that over-achieved; his mantra was "I will not have cowards in my team."

 

[Jeff]

I went on the Beckford page of Wikipedia to check his goal tally

Why are you using Wikipedia when there are far more reliable sources of information?

http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=43629

 

[Redditch Fox]

Just on Beckford ... I don't particularly want to see him go, but it wouldn't bother me too much if he did.

Nugent & Beckford isn't a bad strike force - but it needs augmenting with another (big) striker to provide sdome alternatives.

Beckford scored just 9 league goals - the rest of his goals were in Cup competitions which I'm sorry to say matter not a lot these days

 

[FryattFox]

Beckford scored just 9 league goals - the rest of his goals were in Cup competitions which I'm sorry to say matter not a lot these days

You could easily argue it was just a 'hot streak', but he looked far more dangerous and settled in the second half of the season. I believe he'd score at least 15 league goals next year, which if Nugent does similar then it's a very good start.

 

[The Old Fox]

Just on Beckford ... I don't particularly want to see him go, but it wouldn't bother me too much if he did.

Nugent & Beckford isn't a bad strike force - but it needs augmenting with another (big) striker to provide sdome alternatives.

Beckford scored just 9 league goals - the rest of his goals were in Cup competitions which I'm sorry to say matter not a lot these days

To be fair to Beckford, it did take him a while to settle to Leicester's style: it was only after Christmas (yes OK, I suppose I have to admit, under Pearson :icon_bigg) that he got going. Seven league goals in 2012 may not set the world alight, but is a respectable half year tally.

 

[The Old Fox]

You could easily argue it was just a 'hot streak', but he looked far more dangerous and settled in the second half of the season. I believe he'd score at least 15 league goals next year, which if Nugent does similar then it's a very good start.

I should read all the replies before putting my two penneth in: my point more succinctly put, Sir.

 

[londonfox]

the rest of his goals were in Cup competitions which I'm sorry to say matter not a lot these days

It's better than him not scoring in the cup competitions.

But in reality, who the fcuk needs Beckford, or Nugent for that matter when we have Waggy and Harry, who clearly proved at Leeds they are the obvious #1 strike partnership for next season and we have the great Tom Hopper to back them up.

 

[Redditch Fox]

It's better than him not scoring in the cup competitions.

But in reality, who the fcuk needs Beckford, or Nugent for that matter when we have Waggy and Harry, who clearly proved at Leeds they are the obvious #1 strike partnership for next season and we have the great Tom Hopper to back them up.

Yes I must admit they had slipped my mind!

 

[Macky]

I went on the Beckford page of Wikipedia to check his goal tally and got the message "Internet Explorer has stopped working" This has never happened when looking up any other player. I feel this has to be somehow significant.

That's the Baby Jesus' way of telling you to stop using Internet Explorer. Come and join us in the 21st century, we have cake, beer, choccy biscuits and decent browsers that do actually work

 

[SJN-Fox]

I went on the Beckford page of Wikipedia to check his goal tally and got the message "Internet Explorer has stopped working" This has never happened when looking up any other player. I feel this has to be somehow significant.

It is difficult to remember the last player to divide fans as much as Beckford. People like Greg, Lako and Matt whose views I respect support him. This I find incomprehensible. I accept that his goal tally in cup games was excellent. In League matches he scored 9 in 39 matches. This does not necessarily condemn him since players like Heskey were not prolific goalscorers - but he does nothing else. He has not always been the worst player in the team - Mills and Pantsil had some shockers. However, every game I have seen him in - almost all home games - he has contributed nothing except the 9 goals. His lack of aggression must make him a delight for centre backs to play against. I have some sympathy for players like Nicky Adams who gave everything and put their head among flying boots but just were not talented enough. Someone who seems so wary of "nasty" defenders I find irritating.

Few people now remember Stan Cullis the Wolves manager of the 1950s. He won the First Division with a Wolves team that over-achieved; his mantra was "I will not have cowards in my team."

I can't believe I just read that. He does loads off the ball, pulling defenders to create space for the other players, especially Nugent has led to more than just his own goal tally. Getting rid of Beckford would be sheer folly in my mind. Give him a full season alongside Nugent under Pearson's playing style and I think we will see a very potent strike force.

 

[gregs_y2k]

I can't believe I just read that. He does loads off the ball, pulling defenders to create space for the other players, especially Nugent has led to more than just his own goal tally. Getting rid of Beckford would be sheer folly in my mind. Give him a full season alongside Nugent under Pearson's playing style and I think we will see a very potent strike force.

Whole heartedly agree. He tracks back and helps the defence out a lot more than I ever expected too.

 

[Steven]

I can't believe I just read that. He does loads off the ball, pulling defenders to create space for the other players, especially Nugent has led to more than just his own goal tally. Getting rid of Beckford would be sheer folly in my mind. Give him a full season alongside Nugent under Pearson's playing style and I think we will see a very potent strike force.

Quite.

 

[bocadillo]

..." marching orders" can mean being told to "**** off" but it can also mean where your boss wants you to go/ tactics to deploy - as in battle strategy.

I agree.

 

[Redditch Fox]

I agree.

Yep - we need to establish a Talking Balls Uses of Literacy seminar - Mikeoadby to be conscripted.

 

[David Gwilliam]

I can't believe I just read that. He does loads off the ball, pulling defenders to create space for the other players, especially Nugent has led to more than just his own goal tally. Getting rid of Beckford would be sheer folly in my mind. Give him a full season alongside Nugent under Pearson's playing style and I think we will see a very potent strike force.

As I said good judges of the game have seen things I have missed. I have great faith in Nigel's judgement and if Beckford is still a first choice striker by the second half of next season I will accept that I am wrong. As the person who once pointed to a picture of a man waving a Leicester City scarf and told some bemused American architects that Peter Taylor was "the greatest man in English history" I have a track record of being wrong.