Kasper Schmeichel reveals Bristol City manager Nigel Pearson's huge influence on his career The 5000-1 Premier League title dream wouldn't have been made possible if it wasn't for Pearson, admits the Leicester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel has reiterated the importance of Nigel Pearson's influence at Leicester City as it was revealed his superb man-management skills turned him into a winning goalkeeper. His arrival initially didn't fill Schmeichel with confidence over his position as No1 as father Peter revealed in the ITV documentary 'Against The Odds'. The Manchester United hero recalled: "Another manager comes in thinking Kasper's not the guy he wants in his team." It took Schmeichel less than a month to change Pearson's opinion, following two clean sheets in his first three matches. "When Nige became the manager I didn't know what to expect. I had to convince Nigel and he told me three weeks after arriving at the club. He says to me 'I wasn't sure about you, but you've convinced me," says Schmeichel. Once his position between the sticks was cemented, the Dane went from strength to strength under the guidance of Pearson. Pearson, a brilliant captain and leader in the dressing room back in his playing days, would later hand Schmeichel the captain's armband as the duo helped take Leicester to the Premier League. A decision that has proven entirely justified and Bristol City supporters were hoping the stroke of genius would have been replicated when Pearson handed the armband to keeper Dan Bentley this summer. Pearson then engineered one of football's greatest escapes to ensure top-flight survival in the 2014/15 campaign, winning seven of their remaining nine matches on the back of eight games without a win. Leicester appeared doomed, until a slight tactical tweak that saw Pearson switch to a back three, gave the players more freedom to express their football on the pitch. Schmeichel said: "The manager just said release the handbrake, if we go down, we go down. If we're going to go down, go down fighting. Every game now is a cup final, enjoy it and that's exactly what we did." Pearson's time at Leicester came to an abrupt end in 2015 following a breakdown in relationship with the board before the club went on to create that 5000-1 footballing miracle when they sauntered to a shock Premier League title under Claudio Ranieri just 12 months later. Schmeichel's stock in football has continued to rise following Leicester's success and he is now widely regarded as one of the most competent stoppers in Europe. The 35-year-old owes his own personal and club success down to one man as he highlights the importance Pearson played on his career. "He's such an important figure in Leicester's history. Without Nigel, none of this would have been possible," emphasised Kasper during the documentary. His father Peter added: "He was absolutely fantastic for Kasper, he was probably responsible for most of his development, taking him from a really good goalkeeper to a winning goalkeeper." Schmeichel, who has remained as club captain under both Ranieri and current manager Brendan Rodgers, has often been vocal about Pearson's ability, not just as a manager but specifically his man-management skills. Speaking on the BBC's That Peter Crouch Podcast, he revealed: "I've always thought that the most underrated quality, and for some reason, it doesn't really exist that much in football anymore, is man-management. "Treating people as people and not just a player or a number and Nigel just doesn't do that, he gets invested in people. You see a massive difference in us when players feel appreciated, feel valued, you've got 11 players that are playing, but the rest aren't playing, that's such a hard situation to manage and Nigel's brilliant at managing that. "He treats every single player like his own kids."
Warm fuzzy feeling just came over me. Nice to hear things like that said with conviction and from the heart.
Not sure of the relevance of this? It was 7 years ago, and a different club, nothing close to what we are seeing now....
I just think it's proof of what type of manager we have that one of the best goalkeepers in the country has such a high regard and respect for him and 3 of his ex players, an ex coach, medical specialist have all signed up for him for a 2nd time around, fair play to Nige.
The only person who has wanted a manager to fail that I have seen on here was, RP with LJ... I want NP to succeed, but I'm not in the, he's brilliant because he's not LJ camp. He will, as all managers are, be judged on results. Right now, the jury is out for me. What he did 7 years ago at a former club is irrelevant to me.
absolutely ... lightening!!! now not say it wont happen again, it is one thing putting the right things in the box, but building them into something useful another. This appointment is not a step upward.. not even sideways [ like managers sacked from top teams moving to top teams ] its a [re] start at a few rungs up the ladder! he has never got a promotion??? but won the odd cup!!! to get us to prem would be a first for him!
never under NP! as a player? to be fair the 3 players needed somewhere to play Simpson was contractless been out for a while? king released by Huddersfield contractless after loan a couple of seasons loans James didnt play a lot for NP or LEICS was a championship loan player mostly. I am being realistic without being nasty .. but James is probably best by far around 60 appearances on loans in championship after Leics and about same before with 42 prem ones in 9 years a few under NP
He has! Pearson started his managerial with a seismic bang. He was in the hot seat at Carlisle whilst the club managed to avoid relegation from the Football League with a legendary stoppage-time goal from goalkeeper Jimmy Glass. Pearson also saved Southampton from relegation in 2008 then guided Leicester City to promotion as champions of League One in 2009 with two games to spare. The Nottingham-born supremo continued The Foxes upturn in form, guiding the Midlands club to a play-off semi-final Championship defeat against Cardiff City before departing for Hull City. The Tigers competed for a top-six spot in the second tier before Pearson left to re-join Leicester during the 2011/12 campaign. The 2013/14 season proved to be Leicester’s year, however, as they were guided back to the Premier League after a ten-year absence as champions. The former Foxes boss then kept the club in the Premier League with a miraculous Sunderland-esque great escape before leaving the club in the summer. Didn’t Pearson lay the foundations for Leicester to win the Premier League the following year under Claudio Raneri? It’s widely acknowledged that Pearson, alongside transfer guru Steve Walsh, helped lay the foundations for Leicesters against-all-odds 2016/16 Premier League-winning campaign. Indeed, one of the crucial figures in the team at the time, Riyad Marez agrees. Speaking to Goal during the title-winning season, he said: “Nigel was very good with me.
I want NP to succeed - I really do - which is my wish for ALL incumbents that have taken the helm at BS3. I have NEVER wanted any of them to fail - even when I've not particularly liked them. As for NP - He took Leicester up to the Prem - great (really I mean it) However, Wilson took Barnsley to the Prem Brown took Hull to the Prem Hollowhead took Blackpool to the Prem Look how many times Warnock has taken a side to the Prem - his record is FAR more impressive for that task IMHO Like I said - I want NP to succeed. We wait and see.
That’s a bit rich coming from you. You was constantly creating threads / comments when Cotts was due to and appointed. You told everyone you would never go again whilst LJ was in charge to renewing your ST the next day. I will give Wiz credit for saying it and actually doing it. Then you wanted people to walk out during a game to get LJ sacked. No one on here or most places I’ve read say they want him out. Lots of comments about not happy with results but never saying “Nige Out” Like I said, you ought to be careful about throwing stones about saying about wanting people to fail.
I never wanted LJ to fail-in fact there was some tidy football under him.However definitely did not want his sidekick taking over. Come the last two years the football under LJ and Holden was turgid. You are right after 22 years consecutive it had taken its toll. We were not renewing in fact my mate and his daughter did not-even when NP was appointed. We were well happy to renew when he was appointed-my mate and his daughter have only been down once this season the Millwall win on Boxing day. Always believe NP will take us forward.
what were the 2 Leics to PREM & ..?? note currently only 1 hand, left one , typing is very slow ... and was in a rush am and got my comments wrong. dont know why as soon as saw sparky comment was on it like a flash...i blame it on Cummings
As I said earlier I found the comments from Casper to be very convincing as to the personal traits of Pearson but the jury is still out on his tenure at Bristol City. If you look at the history of well known managers you are certain to find failures to be had on each and every one and even the supposed world class versions even have downturns once in a while. Realistically did we all expect Pearson to come in and with one wave of his magic wand transform Bristol City into EUFA Champions - of course we did. The cold hard truth is that we, of our own free will, decided to support a team that has bounced around between the second and third tiers over the course of their less than stellar life and I came to the conclusion that nearly all of the matches that I attended were in the old 3rd Division. For me the time to evaluate where we are going will be in late 2022 after Nigel has had the chance to fully assess what he has and hopefully been able to add what he wants to improve our lot in life. I know that previous people in his position promised change after 3 transfer windows only to show that what you say is not always what you do and so Lansdown needs to be careful on all fronts not to never fall afoul of those kind of promises again. Managerial likes and dislikes aside I think, and hope, that Nigel Pearson can do the business but I don't think we can wait way too long beyond the end of this year to see the expected transition. How nice it would be to at least see better building blocks in place by the end of January in order to give us more hope going into next season. Good hunting Nigel.
