Should Villa hire him? (Picture: Getty Images/MylesGoode/METRO

Nigel Pearson has emerged as the favourite to take over as Aston Villa manager.

Bookmakers and media outlets alike are convinced that the former Leicester City boss will take charge at Villa Park in the Championship.

But is it the right choice?

It’s impossible to stress enough how important it is that Villa appoint the right manager.


The club have been in a dire state for the past four years before finally imploding with devastating effect this season.

Another poor hire could see one of England’s great clubs plummet even further down the football league.

Here’s why Pearson could easily turn out to be a disastrous appointment:



1.He’s a complete liability

In a time where it’s important for everyone at Villa to pull together, a volatile character like Pearson could cause others around him to completely implode.

There are countless examples where Pearson has proven himself to be a loose cannon but here are a couple:

When he called a reporter an ostrich:



When he strangled James McArthur:



2. There’s a reason Leicester got rid of him

Some people are desperate to attribute Leicester’s success to Pearson.

Claudio Ranieri has guided Leicester to the top of the league (Picture: AFP/Getty Images)

In a similar fashion to how Tim Sherwood consistently attempts to take credit for Tottenham talents such as Harry Kane, it’s just a farce.

Pearson struggled all season with Leicester’s squad before impressively turning it around by winning seven of their final nine matches (for which he deserves credit).

But would they really be in the same position with him this season? Obviously we’ll never know for certain but I’ll happily stick my neck on the line and say no.

It feels like a similar situation to when Nigel Adkins was ‘hard done by’ to be sacked in favour of Mauricio Pochettino at Southampton.

The two different paths taken by the club and Adkins since then point to a higher truth – Pochettino was simply the better manager.

Is Pearson the new Adkins? (Picture: Getty Images)

The same can be said of Leicester. Better managers were available, so they sacked Pearson.

It’s foolish to view Pearson through the looking glass of Leicester’s success this season.

3. He actually doesn’t have that great a track record

Following on from that point, Pearson’s record as a manager is not as impressive as it may seem.

Leicester won the Championship under Pearson (Picture: Getty Images)

He’s only ever won one promotion to the Premier League and people seem to be living in a fairy land if they think he’s the messiah of the Championship.

Often his spells as a manager have left on controversial terms. Don’t be surprised to see the same happen again.

4. There are better options out there

Villa are insisting on appointing a British manager, which in itself could prove to be a complete farce.

British managers are not necessarily the key to winning promotion from the Championship.

Karanka has impressed at Middlesbrough (Picture: Getty Images)

Aitor Karanka has established himself as one of the top bosses in the division despite having no experience of English football before his time at Middlesbrough.

Slavisa Jokanovic guided Watford to Premier League promotion, again with no experience of the league.



Is it really the case that only British managers can succeed in the league? It’s nonsense.

Even of the British managers, Pearson hardly stands out.

Steve Bruce and Mick McCarthy have both won more promotions to the Premier League than Pearson, while David Moyes is regarded as the favourite appointment from most supporters.

Dyche has impressed at Burnley (Picture: Getty Images)

Burnley manage Sean Dyche has also proven himself to be the master of escaping the Championship on a shoestring budget, and at eight years younger than Pearson would surely be a better long-term option.

People may argue that Dyche would be mad to leave Burnley for Villa but in reality there’s no comparison when you look at the difference in the clubs’ stature.

Dyche would almost have to produce a miracle to turn Burnley into a regular Premier League outfit, Villa have all the materials for success.

5. Is he really a long-term appointment?

Pearson has often struggled to last for a long period of time at a club and there’s little to suggest that this time around would be any different.

Nigel Pearson's spells as a manager 1998/99 – Carlisle

2008 – Southampton

2008/10 – Leicester

2010/11 – Hull

2011/15 Leicester

Maybe Villa are just interested in a short-term deal for Pearson, so he can steady the ship.

But the reality is, Villa have been handing out long-term contracts (for players and managers alike) for fun in the last few seasons.

Hopefully, if Villa do opt to bring him in, they will be cautious with what they offer him.

6. His staff are still at Leicester

A manager is often as good as the staff around him and Pearson has lost two of his closest allies in the game.


Both Craig Shakespeare and Steve Walsh were vital parts of Leicester’s success under Pearson and have both stuck around under Ranieri.

Shakespeare has stayed with Ranieri (Picture: Getty Images)

There is talk of Pearson rekindling an old working relationship with Chris Powell but his best days have come while working alongside Walsh and Shakespeare.

It’s no surprise that their success has continued without Pearson.

But will Pearson’s continue without them?

Time will tell.

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