WATFORD v SOUTHAMPTON
Pearson plots survival
Jamie Vardy, Leonardo Ulloa and Riyad Mahrez, who scored two against the Saints, all played a key role in firing Leicester to the seven wins in nine games that kept them up.
And while he probably won’t need that sort of win percentage to keep Watford up in their remaining seven games, Pearson is adamant he has enough match-winners yet again to pull off an equally rewarding escape.
He said: “The dynamics of the squads are different, but we’ve got match-winners.
“You need them at both ends. Everybody thinks match-winners just score goals, but they can be someone who defends well as well. We have matchwinners, a good group ethic and we’ll keep working hard.
“At Leicester, the players were very, very focused at that time. They handled the pressure particularly well.
“Of course, we can do the same now – we’ve got some really good players and a very good working atmosphere.
“We have plenty of stuff going in our favour, but what we still have to do is go out there and perform on the pitch.
“It’s about trying to keep composure and calmness, but being realistic as well. You can’t ignore issues and things that need addressing, but I don’t intend to start becoming someone who is up one minute and down the next, there is no mileage in that.
“If anybody who didn’t know the situation came into the training ground at Leicester at any point of the year, you wouldn’t have a clue what stage we were at. It’s about having a balanced attitude.”
Earlier this month, goalkeeper Ben Foster said Pearson would come into his own in the restart because of the way he deals with his players.
Pearson, whose men host the Saints at Vicarage Road today, added: “It’s very important for somebody in my position to give the players support when they need it, guidance when they need it and – to be brutally honest – a few home truths when they need to be spoken about.
“It’s not about me justifying myself, it’s about me and the staff creating an atmosphere for the players to work in, in which they feel able to work at their best.”
Watford were bottom of the pile when Pearson arrived in December, but are now 16th, a point above third-bottom Bournemouth. He added: “I remind the players how hard they’ve worked and how they’ve dug deep to find themselves in a position where our destiny is in our own hands.”