After a protracted period of compensation negotiations, Nigel Pearson finally ended his brief but memorable stint as Hull City manager and returned to big-spending but under-performing Leicester City, just 17 months after leaving the Foxes for the KC Stadium.
Pearson’s appointment at the King Power Stadium has delighted most of Leicester’s supporters, the prodigal son returning home, but, like his acrimonious exit from the Foxes in 2010, the switch has left Hull fans bemused and angry about his departure.
The Tigers have moved quickly to appoint fans’ favourite Nick Barmby as caretaker manager for the interim and he has already been backed by the club’s head of football operations, Adam Pearson, to succeed in the role and possibly even land the job on a permanent basis.
While most Tigers fans are seething at the manor of Pearson’s departure they would do well to remember that when he arrived the club was penniless and relegation to League One a serious threat.
Hull were saved financially by local entrepreneurs, the Allams, but on the pitch it was left to Pearson to turn the team around. While his defensive brand of football was not universally loved, the former defender has left the club in good condition for Barmby to take forward and achieve the ultimate goal of a return to the Premier League.
During his time at Leicester, Pearson guided the Foxes from League One to the Championship at the first time of asking and took them into the Championship playoffs a year later.
After leaving the club, Leicester’s Thai backers invested heavily in the team and appointed a high-profile manager in Sven-Goran Eriksson, only to flounder and slip into mid-table mediocrity.
Emotions aside, Pearson’s switch to the East Midlands could be the best thing to happen to both clubs.
Under ex-England manager Eriksson, Leicester spent millions on players who picked up big pay packets, but were happy to do little to earn that money and the Swedish boss, not known for being a disciplinarian, allowed this to happen for too long.
The Swede also failed to get to grips with the different culture of football played in the Championship, which varies greatly from that of the Premier League, leading to questionable team selections and tactics.
Pearson, in contrast, is a disciplinarian and does not tolerate idleness from his players. And while his defensive football is not one for the purists, at a club like Leicester with a higher standard of player, it is more likely that a back-to-basics approach will see the Foxes mount a serious push for promotion.
At Hull, despite the takeover of the club and promises of big transfer war chests, Pearson spent only a fraction of what has been invested at Leicester and did so wisely, signing young players, mainly from Manchester United, and proven Championship goalscorers like Matty Fryatt and Aaron McLean.
However, football at the KC Stadium had stagnated slightly under Pearson, a defender by trade, who believed in clean sheets and winning by the odd goal.
Barmby’s appointment on a temporary basis could see a switch to a more attacking style. The former Liverpool midfielder will also receive the backing of the club’s fans and players, who will be happy that a local lad has been given a chance.
But make no mistake, both clubs will be in the promotion mix come the end of the season. Despite the animosity which will be levelled at Pearson, both sets of fans, if their clubs succeed in securing top flight status, will look back on this saga and smile.
