- Nigel Pearson press conference live: New Bristol City manager speaks for first time
Nigel Pearson on what he liked about this role
I was pleasantly surprised about being asked to have a conversation to take the job. It felt a positive move to make. I was pleased we could speak frankly about what was needed in the immediate future. I see this as a good club and I like the ethos on how the club is structured. The infrastructure is geared towards a positive future. We have to make that happen. there's lots of good things coming for the club. I felt this was a real stimulus for me from the initial conversations.
NP on last night's win
That's a topic that doesn't really matter to me [last night's win]. The important thing was to change out fortunes. The preparation was good from the coaching staff. We needed a good team performance first of all - and that's what we saw last night. A good tenacious team performance. We allowed our pace on the counter-attack to come to the fore. The most important thing was a positive performance and I felt we had that. We had to show a bit of resilience and to score three goals in the first half was possibly a relief for the players. Some players will naturally take plaudits. For me I look at it as a collective effort.
NP on new title
For you or for me [important job title]? We sat down - Jon, Steve, Mark and me - and we said we needed some leadership. Is a job title important? I would still try to manage if I was a head coach. How I work it is that I like to be part of a team. It's important to get stability and direction.
NP on long term plans
I'd like to [stay longer] - I'd like to be here longer but as Steve said it's an opportunity to have a look at each other. I fully understand the situation. I heard Neil Warnock speaking in his pre-match press conference about short-term contracts... We came to a decision very carefully and I'm happy in my skin and I'm happy to fulfil my obligations. It's not something I'm concerned about. I take the job on thinking that potentially it will be longer. But myself and the staff have to stabilise the situation first.
NP on his health
I was asked the question if I was okay - and I wouldn't put myself in a position if I couldn't do the job the way I want. I like to be visible and work hard. There were opportunities for me last November but I didn't feel it was the right time for me. In short: I'm alright.
NP on Joey Barton and social media
We and Joey exchanged a few messages. I have a lot of time and respect for him. He's a very intelligent man actually. It's part and parcel [social media] of the modern world. I'm not a dinosaur. I'm overwhelmed by a lot of the messages I've received. That type of thing matters to me. We're working in a time when supporters acan't come and see us and football needs to survive in its current form and we have to go through this and maybe social media is a way for supporters to keep involved.
NP on Barton [more]
I think he's a god appointment for Rovers. I don't know who would do the cooking [if they shared a flat]! I think he's got a bright future. People can have preconceived ideas but the reality can be different. I'd like to meet him when we can. There's an element of humour here but we're both very aware we've got jobs to do that are not necessarily starightforward.
NP on speaking to the players yesterday
I think it's necessary to get some clarity of message and an impression of where we go from here. The specifics would be to stress it's for us to find solutions. Last night's performance suggested we have the capacity to turn thing around. But it was just one result. We have to build on that. It's vital that there is a clarity of message for the players. I always try and keep things simple. It really is making sure people understand their role in how we collectively move forward.
NP on City's ambitions
Yes [the long term future here excites] - I would imagine our fanbase doesn't want to hear the word potential too much. What we have is a really good foundation to make the next step and everybody's aspirations is to get out of the Championship. what I do identify with is the club's ethos on how they do that. What we have to do is finish the season with a positive message. The medium and long-term future is bright but having the infrastructure is one thing, doing it is another. I'm one for living in the moment. We have to be pragmatic at the moment. The club has so much going for it, we have a fantastic fanbase. Geographically we have the chance to have an identity of our own.
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport...s/nigel-pearson-press-conference-live-5039932
