Nigel Pearson insists the prospect of a new contract at Bristol City isn’t on his radar yet as the “bizarre” nature of football management and the fact he still has more than a year left to run on his present agreement means he’s completely calm about his position at Ashton Gate.
Pearson will reach the second of a three-year deal this summer having gradually restructured, reorganised and redefined the first-team football operation at City, working within severe budget restrictions, and under significant pressure on results as the Robins have remained, mostly, a lower mid-table side on his watch with the fear of a relegation battle never far away.
However, for the first time since he first took over in February 2021 there is a sense that the Robins are now moving forward and, as noted by former CEO Richard Gould before he left in January, the next transfer window represents the moment when the club’s financial reset post-pandemic should be all-but complete in terms of shedding expensive contracts and reducing their overall costs.
Chairman Jon Lansdown was asked about Pearson’s contract status on BBC Radio Bristol earlier this week and essentially said that it’s a matter to discuss in the future with no great urgency from either party, and that message was echoed by the manager on Friday ahead of the Severnside Derby against Cardiff City.
“No, and it doesn’t need to be either,” said Pearson, when asked if the prospect of a new contract was on the agenda. “I’ve got more than a year left. I’m also a realist too, so I know things can change quickly, as they have done this year. I’m very comfortable in my own skin, so to speak.
“I don’t think it’s something that we need to be talking about publicly and a year is probably more than the average tenure of a manager these days so what’s the point in talking about contracts at the moment?
“I hope the club trust me to keep doing the job that I always strive to do. Like I say, I’m always very calm about the situation anyway. And it depends how I feel in another year’s time as well.
“There are lots of things to consider and I’m just part of a team that’s working hard to try and create a more attractive but solid football foundation here.
“We just have to be sensible about how we look at it and I don’t really overthink the contract thing too much because football management is such a bizarre job to have, in many ways. I’m very happy to be here.”
Pearson had previously indicated that he was in danger of losing his job following a damaging Boxing Day defeat to West Brom, in which City were booed off, with concern that the Robins could fall into the bottom three for the new year.
However, since that loss, they have gone on a 12-game unbeaten run, only ended by Premier League champions Manchester City on Tuesday night, and sentiment among the fanbase is now of almost total faith in the manager in guiding City further up the Championship table and potentially mounting a play-off challenge, if not this season then certainly next.
The fact the narrative has shifted so quickly is evidence of the precarious nature of a Championship manager, only furthered by the fact that Pearson - who has been in charge of City for two years and nine day - is the third-longest serving manager in the division, after Mark Robins at Coventry City (five years and 362 days) and Millwall’s Gary Rowett (three years and 133 days).
Saturday's opponents Cardiff are even on their third manager of the season as Sabri Lamouchi replaced Mark Hudson in January after he took over from Steve Morison in September.
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