Red-Robbo

St Eustace is the patron saint of difficult situations, according to Wikipedia. I now want him to come, if only for this ...

Think Basso was our last one, here I'd have said that he was likely to be aggressive to over-timid owners as well, and that would probably rule him out. It's telling really, that they've obviously been mulling a move against Pearson for some time, and awaiting an excuse, yet - unlike many clubs when they change managers - they clearly haven't yet got a successor in mind, only a "shortlist that may get longer".

Another reason to loathe how international football is run.

The next appointment would have to be a rip-roaring success or fan discontent will grow even more rampant. It's something of a poisoned chalice to take on; succeeding a popular manager who the fans didn't want to be sacked, AND working with Mr Sustainability Lansdown and his varying 'templates to follow' and with Tins sticking his oar in all the time. Nonetheless, Brian was right to say we have a talented squad here (albeit unbalanced and wafer-thin). An exceptional head coach might succeed against the odds stacked against him. It needn't be a "big name" either: Just a good name. Thinking outside the box is required. Unfortunately, I don't think the board even recognise what a box looks like, yet alone how to find its outside.

i'm sure Nige knew Alex would be sold; I also think he'd been led to believe that at least part of the funds from that sale would be made available.

Just said nothing at all really. In lots of words. Only two take outs are it'll be a head coach, not manager, suggesting other people will have input and possibly total control of recruitment; secondly, the implicit criticism of David Rennie. The enire enterprise suggests Brian is propagating the myth that the fact we're 15th is domehow down to poor management. Whether he actually believes that is another matter.

You don't have to be Poirot to work out that the crux of the disagreement is the Alex Scott money. Person had a plan for when Scott departed yet when he made the amount the club was looking for, his plan had the rug pulled out from undèr it by the club refusing to release any of the cash. He was told he should be able to mansge with what he's got - with Tins in particular, pushing hard for more academy kids to be introduced. An injury crisis among senior plsyers and the expected poor results gave them the opportunity to sack the blstantly irritated manager and bring in someone more pliant.

The sticking point will be "you gotta make do with what you've got and I won't be cracking open any nest egg", I believe.

You're right. Of course, Steve Lansdown is far from the only my-way-or-the-highway owner in English football. It's just that some of them have the gumption to trust the managers they employ take football decisions and actually listen to them for advice.

Barton is "differently moralled"

Only thing I think is this: Steve "I'm not prepared to continue to spend much money on this club. You OK with that?" Nigel "No" Gary "Yes"

You get the Cotts should have had more time/It was right for Cotts to go debate; you sometimes get the SOD should've had more time debate; or even a debate on the merits of Gary Johnson, Danny Wilson etc etc. But on the manner of Nigel Pearson's sacking, I think the fanbase has rarely been more united. Very few will say this sacking was fair or justified. It's also brought the ownership into further disrepute among fans. I fell out of love with Lansdown's stewardship a number of years ago, having been initially supportive. Not many Lansdown fans now. Collectively, as a fanbase, we hope for the best, but fear the worse.

You can see Rowett being on Lansdown's radar as he has worked with a tight budget and moulds a team who are tough to bear from limited resources. Thing is, so did Peatson, and he offered more. (And that's before we get to the unfairness of the sacking and the appalling waste of money of paying 7 months of a contract off)

Improved the stadia but made nowhere near the impact an owner with his money should've done on the club's on-field progress. That's my verdict on Steve Lansdown. It wouldn't be impossible, with the wrong appointment, for us to go down this season either. Undermining everything Pearson was building. I had no such fears before yesterday. Now, well there are worse clubs in this division, but a real doozy of an appontment could add us to their ranks.

I think the Holden debacle is what sticks in many minds.

Another reason to not like Rowett is that his Burton side once lost 7-1 to the Gas.

This isn’t a pro-Rowett post, but I should point out he did get Derby in the play-offs and was on the verge of doing so with Birmingham City - before being removed in favour of the disastrous Zola. The only place he totally flopped at was Stoke. As an appointment it'd be a bit "meh" but we'd have to wait and see what he does here. His CV is certainly not a patch on the man he'd be replacing.

You're 'ere the voice of reason, Fevs. I'll certainly be judging the incoming manager on his performance here and not pre-judging. Some names being floated leave you more nervous than others, but - assuming they don’t appoint a rookie - most managerial careers have their ups and downs, and each club will present a unique challenge. We might get someone who "clicks" here. Those saying the Lansdowns past record on appointments has been poor are dead right, but remember they did bring Pearson here: even if they subsequently didn't understand how the man operates and didn't give him the necessary support to achieve his (and our) progression at the club.

I think I'm more in despair than angry: the chance of building something; finally progressing - thrown away because of personality clashes and/or an utter lack of understanding of football. I won't boycott the club. I've been here through shit chairmen, shit managers, shit players, in the past. They are just custodians. People like me, and most of us in this forum, we are the club. I really can't wait for the Lansdowns to go though. I'm not going to say evrything they have done is bad - but in terms of progression, they are a definite drag on the club.

In a word: yes. Who knows where this will leave us.

Sadly, I won't be there. I'd prefer us not to boo, but were I there a chorus of "one Nigel Pearson" might make feelings known.

It's called capitalism and it's why - as Jim Morrison sang in 1967 - "some are born to sweet delight, some are born to the endless night". Jon can't help being born the son of someone who our system allows to have more money than a medium-sized African nation However he may be able to stop running the club he's "chairman" of, like a dick.

Proper manager. Long-termist in his approach. Communicated well. Strategic. Thoughtful. All this and he sounds like the sort of fella you'd like to have a pint with. Nigel Pearson, I'm sorry you had to come to a club run by idiots, but you've been in the game long enough that I'm sure you've seen it many times before. I wish you a healthy and happy future.

Just such a horribly short-termist approach. Unless this is linked to an imminent takeover, it's utterly ridiculous. I feel let down and depressed.

He always reminds me a bit of Steve Coogan's character Saxondale.