Welcome to a new series of articles from Last Word on Football. Over the next few weeks, we will be looking at the transfers, sackings, appointments, and more that almost happened in football and changing the game we all know and love.
It Almost Happened: Nigel Pearson Sacked Before Leicester City’s ‘The Great Escape’
Leicester City: The Lead Up
Pearson’s legendary status at City doesn’t come from nothing. He took over as manager during the dark days of League One and ultimately led the club back to the top flight. In his first season, Leicester captured the League One title at the first time of asking, with a remarkable tally of 96 points. The following campaign saw the Foxes finish fifth; another brilliant finish, especially as a newly promoted side. If not for Cardiff’s David Marshall saving two penalties in the play-off semi-final, it could have even been back-to-back promotions.
Read More: Leicester Player Admits They Didn’t Sign To Be A ‘League One Player’
Unfortunately, Pearson’s stellar work led to him being poached by Hull City in the summer of 2010. Paulo Sousa and Sven Goran Eriksson both took on the job in the following months, but City couldn’t emulate the success under Pearson. However, he would soon return to the club in November 2011, as the Foxes paid compensation to complete the return. Leicester ended ninth that season, nine points from the play-offs, but the momentum was well and truly back.
The roller coaster of emotions that Leicester fans would soon endure for well over a decade all started in the 2012/13 season. A last-gasp winner away on the final day, at the City ground of all places, saw Pearson’s side sneak into the play-offs. What followed was one of the most iconic moments in football history. Anthony Knockaert missed a late penalty to book a trip to Wembley, and Watford went up the other end and scored via Troy Deeney.
Read More: Leicester Gem ‘Destined For The Top’ Could Be Midfield Solution
Despite such a dramatic climax to that season, City put it behind them and went on to clinch the following League title in dominant fashion. A tally of 102 points, with the likes of Kasper Schmeichel, Danny Drinkwater and Wes Morgan firing on all cylinders; perhaps a precursor for the future. For many pundits and journalists, Leicester’s immediate relegation back to the second tier was more than likely. Unsurprisingly, for much of the season, it seemed that way.
Leicester City: It Could Have Been So Different
After 24 games had been played, Leicester sat four points adrift of relegation. On 7th February, they had just been beaten 1-0 by Crystal Palace. No club in league history had ever avoided relegation after being 20th at Christmas, let alone being there in February. This game against Palace is not only synonymous with Pearson’s clash with James McArthur, but also with reports that he was sacked.
Just hours after being relieved of his duties, Pearson was reinstated. Chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha let him go; however, it was his son Aiyawatt who offered a reprieve. The club soon responded by describing the rumours as “inaccurate and without foundation”, whilst Pearson refused to discuss the speculation. Despite the club shutting down the story, it seems like there was certainly some truth to it, especially after how Pearson was eventually sacked in the summer.
Read More: It Almost Happened: Johan Cruyff Joins Leicester
Regardless of how it ended, if Pearson’s sacking had come earlier, it would have completely changed the trajectory of the footballing world. No ‘Great Escape’, no title win and ultimately no European Tour. Pearson and his staff are often credited for their innovative approach to management. “Nige was ahead of his time, I think in many ways a sort of Director of Football as much as a manager”, said journalist Jonathan Northcroft. Without him at the helm, it’s hard to imagine someone could have turned the tide.
Alongside the likes of Steve Walsh and Craig Shakespeare, City defied the odds by staying up. They even finished in a respectable 14th place after picking up 23 points in the last 10 games. Whether Pearson would have guided Leicester City to the title win the following season, we will never know, but it’s evident that if he had been sacked back in February, then everything would have been different.
Featured Image Credit:
IMAGO / Pro Sports Images
