West Ham boss Sam Allardyce tells Leicester City 'stick with Nigel Pearson'

SAM ALLARDYCE has advised Leicester against sacking Nigel Pearson if the club are relegated this season.

Sam Allardyce has backed Leicester City to avoid relegationGETTY

Sam Allardyce has backed Leicester City to avoid relegation

The Foxes, who entertain Allardyce’s West Ham tomorrow, are seven points off safety albeit with a match in hand over the rest of the relegation pack.

Pearson, who guided Leicester into the top flight after a 10-year absence, was reportedly sacked back in February before being immediately reinstated by the Leicester hierarchy within hours of that decision being made. 

Allardyce feels the club’s Thai owners would be foolish to lose Pearson.

“I rate Nigel very highly. He’s a very good manager,” said Allardyce. “Nigel has done a fantastic job for the football club. If Burnley go down this season, they will stick with Sean Dyche won’t they? Well, Leicester should do the same with Nigel.

Leicester City are struggling at the bottom of the table with 19 pointsGETTY

Leicester City are struggling at the bottom of the table with 19 points

The owners there need to stay strong and judge Nigel on what he has done, not just this season

Sam Allardyce

“The owners there need to stay strong and judge Nigel on what he has done, not just this season, but throughout for that football club.

“Leicester weren’t living off parachute payments but working to a limited and restricted budget in the Championship. To achieve the promotion was impressive.”

Pearson has come under fire this season for two high-profile incidents: first there was the unsavoury altercation with a supporter; then there was the manhandling of Crystal Palace midfield James McArthur on the touchline. But rather than condemn his opposite number, Allardyce blamed the stresses of football management that his contemporaries experience.

“Nigel is a very, very honest man and he says how it is,” Allardyce added. “Perhaps, sometimes, that’s the wrong thing to do. But he knows who he is, he knows what he wants, he knows what he wants to try to achieve.

“We all get under cosh, and when we do, we make the odd slip-up. But we are all human beings. He has done a fantastic job for the football club and throughout his career, he has been a good manager.”

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