Nigel Pearson warned the people who might want to see him sacked at Leicester City to be careful what they wished for as he cut a bullish figure after his team’s narrow 2-1 defeat at Arsenal.
The Leicester manager revealed he had cleared the air with James McArthur, the Crystal Palace player with whom he clashed on Saturday and, also, that he had enjoyed lunch with the club’s Thai owners on Tuesday. He suggested he continued to have a friendly relationship with them.
Pearson lost his composure during the Palace game when McArthur inadvertently crashed into him on the touchline and knocked him over. He, briefly put his hand on McArthur’s throat and, when the pair got to their feet, he grabbed the midfielder’s shirt to prevent him from getting straight back into the game. The Football Association has decided not to bring a charge and it has merely reminded Pearson of his responsibilities.
“It was jovial,” Pearson said. “Things happen quickly in games. I was scythed down and we had a little bit of banter. I actually spoke to him [McArthur] last night. He texted me. And I was composing a text back to him but I thought, ‘No, I’ll just ring him.’
“So I apologise to Alan [Pardew, the Palace manager] if I’ve spoken to one of his players but it was a friendly chat and I think the lad comes out of it with an awful lot of credit in terms of diffusing the situation. I suppose what it does do is further illustrate the amount of scrutiny and camera shots and angles. We wouldn’t get that in the divisions below because people probably are not as interested.”
There were reports on Sunday that Pearson had been sacked only to be reinstated – a farcical situation that had overshadowed the buildup to his team’s visit to the Emirates Stadium. He praised his players for the focus they showed in a game in which they fought hard after going 2-0 down and, in the words of Arsène Wenger, were unlucky to lose.
“The owners don’t want to get rid of me,” Pearson said. “I’m here. I’ve had lunch with the owners today and I sat behind them [in the stands] in the first half. They’re in London and we stayed in London. I’ve spoken to them a few times.
“It’s very friendly and communication, whatever you do for a living, is going to be pivotal as to how an operation succeeds or doesn’t. I’ve always had a very good working relationship with them.
“I wouldn’t expect any favours from anybody. I’m in a results business and our results haven’t been what we would like so that brings pressure on peoples’ situations. But then you’ve got to find a replacement who’s better and who will wave a magic wand. You’ve got to be careful what you wish for sometimes.”
