Nigel Pearson committed to Bristol City but may miss fruits of his labour

Nigel Pearson says he remains committed to Bristol City though he may not see out the three-year plan of the club’s aim of Premier League football.

It is closely approaching a year since City opted to give Pearson a three-year contract after doing enough during his initial interim spell after succeeding Dean Holden.

When the news was announced, with the aim of getting the team into the Premier League, however with the team rooted in 19th in the Championship.

And in the aftermath of the 1-1 draw with Peterborough United, the City boss cast some doubt on his future at the club with comments that either himself or a potential successor would have to endure the problem of getting the best out of his current set of players

He also wanted to see a shake-up from the Robins in the summer, however, that will be difficult given the lack of financial resources that may be on offer.

The 58-year-old has clarified his remarks and has reaffirmed his commitment to the football club despite their current position and bad run of form.

“Changing people doesn’t necessarily mean that you get rid of the problem,” said Pearson.

“The time scale we talked about when I joined last year was a three-year plan. The aims of the club are still very clear and that is that we want to be a Premier League club. We’re a long way from it.

“Maybe I won’t see the realisation of that dream at the end of my tenure but it’s not going to stop me from working towards it.

“I’m not a short-term fixer, I’ve been in clubs where I have done that but that is because I have taken on a job knowing the parameters of what is required.

“I don’t feel the need to pigeon hole myself but this job is going to require not just patience but a bit of ingenuity and it’s going to present challenges that me along with everybody else needs to be prepared to find the solutions to.

“We have to live in the present, we have to try and find the daily and weekly solutions to the problems that come up. Let’s not get away from where we are trying to get to. The decisions we make now are very important and are fundamental to whether we will be able to achieve that at some point.

“We as a club, not me as a manager or the players but we as a football club, that is part of our job.

“Whenever I leave the club at whatever point, whether it be in one year, two years or in ten years time, it doesn’t matter.

“It is important that there is a difference in the journey.”

When Pearson arrived at Ashton Gate, he had taken over a side that had lost five consecutive matches and were 13th in the table.

They were also dealing with issues off of the pitch such as the contract renewal of top scorer Famara Diedhiou, which ultimately fell flat.

City finished the season in 19th, the exact position where they are at now, dropping six places.

But as well as on the field, there have been issues such as dealing with Financial Fair Play, whilst also trimming the squad size and wage bill.

And earlier this year, the club revealed record losses of almost £40m, which has hamstrung its ability to maneuver in the transfer market.

Asked whether he thought the job was more difficult than first envisaged, he said: “I don’t expect things to go along a set pathway. Are they more difficult? It’s a little different in certain areas.

“I don’t tend to think of it too much.  You get bored of people making comparisons,” he said.

“You can reference the past and use your experiences to negotiate your way through what the problems are.

“The bottom line is every job has its own individual challenges. I try not to get bogged down too much.”

This summer remains a pivotal one for City, who still have a number of members out of contract. There is a strong nucleus that makes up a squad that has longer deals tied to the club whilst others will see their deals run until next summer. It is expected to be a quiet time in the transfer market, but there will be some changes at least.

The boos from the fans at the full-time whistle from supporters acted as a reality check of the current situation of the club. But after discussions with his coaching staff, there is still the belief that the club can deal with this period and come out stronger.

“Hopefully we will be able to do some work with the squad,” he said. Whether that is with money or without money.

“There will be some changes and then it is how we function on the pitch.

“Whether it’s a mixture of experience and know-how or whether it has to do with having too many players that the Championship has proven a tough nut to crack for themselves.

“What I have been reminded of by a couple of members of staff this week and it is always good to have staff members to challenge you.

“It’s good to have people to say that we need to persevere and we are not that far away.

“It doesn’t. always feel like that and it won’t do for fans. When you get the reaction that you get from the game last week that is where the realism kicks in.

“Whether you are a player, coach, or manager, you have to deal with it because that is what it is all about.”