by Bashmachkin Fri Jan 22, 2010 8:47 pm
Nigel Pearson was our assistant manager under Roeder and then Allardyce, and was our caretaker manager for a game or two when those managers departed. I don't think we (if I can speak in the name of Newcastle fans in general) held him in particularly high regard by the time he left us, because he seemed to get on well with Allardyce who most fans thoroughly disliked, and he sometimes seemed a bit aloof regarding our failures on the pitch. However, he's doing a good job with Leicester and has more of a footballing sense than I envisaged.
I think both Kimbo and I would have happily seen Solano back at Newcastle, at least to provide options and backup. I think we both realise that he is going to be a better player, even at his age, than Nicky Butt; for my part, I imagine he is still a better player than all of our midfielders bar Guthrie and Gutierrez.
He gives options because he can play anywhere down the right hand side and, like you say Puro, I think he will also be able to do a job in the Championship spreading balls around from the centre of the pitch. There isn't a lot of quality in the Championship, but more, teams don't particularly press the opposition - players get a lot of time on the ball in the league, and as long as he has the runners round him, I think Solano will do well for Leicester.