Of the four former Southampton managers currently working in the Premier League (although Alan Pardew's precarious position may mean that number is three by the time you read this), Leicester's Nigel Pearson is the one that is performing most impressively so far this season. At Southampton, however, it was another matter. A highly rated coach who had worked as assistant manager at the likes of Newcastle and the England Under-21s, Southampton was Pearson's first proper managerial position and he arguably was not yet ready to make that step up. His predecessor George Burley had done a relatively solid job, getting the team to the Championship play-offs the previous year, but fans were not particularly put out when he opted to take up the job managing the Scottish national team in January 2008. After Pearson's three month spell, however, the fans would probably have welcomed anyone else. Pearson managed just three wins in charge of Saints, including the final game of the season where they came from behind to beat Sheffield United and narrowly secure the club's Championship place. Even so, their 20th position in the second tier was Southampton's lowest league position in 50 years and it set them on a path for worse the following year. Ironically it was Leicester that were relegated in place of Southampton that year and were therefore happy to provide a new job for the out of work coach. As Saints struggled, Pearson's two spells with Leicester have seen the Foxes rise back through the ranks to their current position as Premier League surprise package.
