Nigel Pearson has been sacked by Bristol City after two and a half years in charge, according to an official club statement.
Bristol City have opted to part company with the experienced manager following their 2-0 away defeat to Cardiff City in yesterday’s Championship fixture. Assistant manager Curtis Fleming has taken over as interim boss whilst the club begin their search for a replacement. First Team Coach Jason Euell and Head of Medical Performance Dave Rennie have also departed alongside Pearson.
Bristol sit 15th in the table after 14 games only winning twice since their 4-1 victory over Plymouth Argyle in September (Coventry City and Rotherham United). There is no mention in the statement regarding the process that will take place.
Chairman Jon Lansdown discussed the decision:
“This was a difficult decision to make as we recognise and appreciate how much Nigel has done for the club over the past two-and-a-half years on and off the pitch.
“Nigel is highly respected by the staff and players and has been very supportive of the Academy structure and our Women’s team.
“We all wanted Nigel to achieve our ambition to be promoted but, with our recent results, feel that now is the time to make a change to give the club the best possible chance of success.”
Writer’s View
Pearson is a vastly experienced manager and despite the defeat and the indifferent form this seems a little rash. Bristol City, with the strength of the Championship this season are about where I expected them to be at the start of the season. The next appointment is incredibly important now and the wrong decision could derail the hard work that has gone on in the last couple of years. You only have to look at what has happened with Birmingham City to know that a bad decision can cause more harm than it is worth.
Bizarre