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Nigel Pearson

THERE has been a lot of reaction to the way our supporters turned on individuals, and in fact the whole team, over the last couple of games.

It's never nice when this sort of thing happens.

But having been on the receiving end myself of both jeers and cheers, you accept it undoubtedly has to go with the territory.

People who pay good money should be allowed to vent their feelings as they wish.

I certainly can appreciate the feelings because the same people are the supporters who are the first to cheer and sing when they feel the team deserves it or needs it.

In the case of individuals being heckled, it's not always helpful and I personally feel a little sympathy for Jermaine Wright who apparently was signed as a midfielder but has had to fill in recently in both the left and right back positions.

He has done so apparently without complaint and, whilst it is easy to say players should be able to adjust, I know some in the game who would not have put themselves on the line for the cause.

The biggest part of the week of course was our appointment of Nigel Pearson.

This took everyone by surprise, simply because, in the guessing game which always goes on after a manager leaves a club, I don't think his name was mentioned anywhere by pundits or supporters.

I was more than interested to see the reaction, particularly of some of the ex-professionals.

The general criticism seemed to be Nigel had no experience.

If we look at today's opposition Scunthorpe - admittedly they were going into the game bottom of the league and I sincerely hope they are still there at the end of the day - they appointed Nigel Adkins as theirmanager last season who up until then had been the club's physio.

He proceeded to take the club up.

Our opponents next week at St Mary's are Ipswich. Their manager just happens to be Jim Magilton, an ex-player of ours, who I alsomanaged when I was in charge of Northern Ireland.

He finished his playing career with Ipswich and, when Joe Royle left, was promoted straight into the manager's position without any coaching experience whatsoever.

Chris Coleman, who this week joined Coventry, started his management career at Fulham without any experience in coaching whatsoever, straight from the playing field.

The same has applied recently to Roy Keane, who took Sunderland to promotion in his first season, and Gareth Southgate, who does well to keep Middlesbrough up.

I could list many more.

The modern game is much different to when Bobby Robson, Brian Clough and myself virtually managed our clubs from top to bottom.

We only have to look at people like Arsene Wenger, Rafael Benitez, Jose Mourinho and his successor Avram Grant.

They have the title of manager because that's what we have always done in England, but in Europe they are usually called the coach.

That is the way clubs have gone over here.

The man in charge of the football basically has just to concentrate on the coaching, handling and managing of the players and everything connected with the training ground.

There are plenty of people on the periphery to look after the other things such as dealing with players' contracts, agents etc.

The man in charge of the football now basically identifies players he would like to sign or loan and then others get on trying to get them.

But Nigel Pearson, pictured above, with due respect to Messrs Adkins, Magilton and all, has actually had ten years experience with some management at the beginning and the rest coaching players and assisting managers at the highest level in the game, including internationals.

He is more than ready to take on the reins after coming out of the Premiership at Newcastle.

He arrived on Monday night with only a short session to view the team on Tuesday morning which had already been selected.

It would have been easy for him to sit in the stand for the Plymouth game and start in earnest today at Scunthorpe.

He did it the other way round. He put the tracksuit on and was on the touchline from the first whistle.

He's a very sensible man who knows exactly the task ahead - including one of the biggest of all, having to win over the supporters and many in the media who would have preferred others.

I feel we have made the right choice.

A fresh look at everything to do with our club is not a bad thing.

He's already shown an interest in everything through the reserves down to the academy.

He is relishing the challenge.

I saw how he handled meeting the staff behind the scenes at St Mary's and he showed a genuine interest in all of them, and apparently his meetings with the media so far have been down to earth, open and honest.

He is strong in mind and body, which he will need I am sure in the weeks from now until the end of the season.

I read somewhere that having been a coach or a number two does not involve discipline.

I beg to differ.

I have made the point with Steve McClaren, for instance, who had been number two with England for five years. It is difficult to go to number one in that same position when players have been closer leading up to that appointment.

But good clubs have always been run on discipline, from the junior coaches with the apprentices or academy players when they join the club right through.

And as far as some of the critics making the point we needed someone with experience, what would they have said if we had for instance had appointed someone like Alan Shearer? I suspect there might have been a similar type of euphoria which greeted Kevin Keegan's return to Newcastle.

But, with due respect to all concerned, much more experience is needed for the situation we are in at present.

For all the criticisms, there have also been some positives from people within the game.

I was speaking to Alex Ferguson on Tuesday morning as he waited to board his flight to Lyon and his comments were a good appointment. I watched him working at West Brom and at Newcastle.' That more than balances some other views.

Cards on the table time - the club financially is in not too good a shape and any newcomer has to be made aware of that.

But we have to look forward positively.

Every effort is being made by Leon Crouch and others in the club to sort out the finances.

I would personally appeal to our supporters, particularly the loyal fringe in the top right hand corner who follow us through thick and thin to all points from Bristol to Scunthorpe, to keep believing.

Keep with us and, rest assured, Nigel Pearson will get every help we can give him.

6:00am Saturday 23rd February 2008

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