Let's get it in perspective regarding progress under Pearson. The progress started from a very low position. I know a lot of other clubs have gone down to the third tier and not made it straight back up. That promotion at the first attempt was crucial and Pearson has to be congratulated for that. The seasons in The Championship were also progressive, despite the hiccup in the one where we went on the bad mid season run but still managed to qualify for the play-offs. And no one can argue about the success of the promotion year.
But let's be realistic about last season. We did escape by a whisker never mind where we finally ended up in the table and that we had a game to spare. What the team achieved was extraordinary, defied history and may prove to be a one-off event. Being that far behind at the end of April had everyone worried, even you I would imagine. I admit yet again that I would have ditched Pearson as manager at the end of the year, because there was no sign of him knowing how to pick a side that would win a game, and the stakes were too high to let him continue. Yes, we played some good stuff, but it's results and points that keep you in the league. With his later bizarre activities of grabbing opposing players by the throat and unstable ranting in press conferences I felt the pressure had got to him and he was totally losing it. Saying that, since he survived one stay of execution, I was surprised when he was sacked and assumed that it wasn't a spur of the moment decision and that the board had someone already lined up. That clearly wasn't the case. But like I've said before, you can only appoint one of the candidates who apply, and Ranieri probably looked the best. I'm not overly enthused by the choice, but only time will tell.
I think some people are certainly condemning him. They are seeing some parallels with Sven, and I understand that, but they are putting forward their theories as fact and saying he is just here for the money and doesn't care about the club. When they do that, then it becomes a lie as there is no actual truth in it; it is just their opinion. Maybe they will be proven right. But only time will tell.
And just for the record I'm not a Pearson hater. I think he has just about reached the limit of his abilities in the Championship and he will probably do very well again down at that level, but I believe he lacks the tactical nous to take us any further. I'm not saying that is 'fact', it is just my belief based on what has gone before.
... we secured safety with a game to go having drawn at Sunderland as results eleswhere went in our favour ... the players started to dance for joy when those other results came through ... if those results had gone otherwise we would then have had to win our final game to ensure safety .. that's the reality of the situation rather than your history re-written 'comfortable 6 point gap' scenario 
