Pearson can stop the drop
Brendan backs ‘rascal’ Jamie to raise stakes
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Vardy scored twice at the weekend against Crystal Palace to make it 101 Premier League goals, a phenomenal return for the one-time factory worker who only made his top-flight debut in 2014 aged 27.
Tonight at the Emirates it could be a shoot-out between Vardy, who is leading the Premier League scoring charts with 21, and Arsenal marksman Pierreemerick Aubameyang, who has 19.
Leicester boss Rodgers expects no letup from Vardy but he is grateful that the former party animal is a reformed character.
He said: “Jamie didn’t have the perfect life. There were struggles in his teens and everyone knows he is a little rascal at times.
“In his early 20s I’m sure he was a bit more of a handful at a non-league level. He is now very settled as a father and has a great life outside of football. I probably got him when he has tamed himself a little bit.
“He’s actually very easy to manage. He has an incredible spirit you would never ever want to kill.”
Having been one
For game to end in a 2-2 draw of the keys to their title win in 2016, just a few weeks later Vardy turned a move to Arsenal down before signing a new contract with the Foxes.
Rodgers said: “He is like a club legend. He comes in every day with a great enthusiasm and lovely smile. It is remarkable what he has achieved, having been rejected as a young player.
“Because of his speed and how deadly he is, he is an incredible talent.
“He deserves all the accolades but I know he won’t rest on it. He is very motivated to continue. He loves football, including out on the training pitch. He is a great lad who has a great passion and love for the club.”
Rodgers presented Vardy an engraved silver fox pitchside on Saturday for reaching triple figures.
He added: “It is an incredible landmark but we were in the next day getting focused for Arsenal. I am sure that at the end of the season Jamie can tip a glass of wine or beer to his achievement.” with
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KO: 6pm, Sky Sports.
REF:
Anthony Taylor
NIGEL PEARSON believes he is still the man to steer Watford to survival, despite collecting just five points from 10 games.
The Hornets climbed out of the bottom three at Christmas on the back of a superb run of 13 points in five games.
But Pearson has seen his team’s confidence drained by a return of just a single point since football’s restart – and his authority was undermined last month by striker Andre Gray’s lockdown-flouting birthday party.
The Watford boss said: “I look at our players in training, you look into their eyes and get lots of positive signals back.
“We just have to back ourselves, keep calm, but also we have to perform and find ways of winning games.
“If it’s ugly sometimes, I don’t care. It’s just about getting enough results.”
Pearson saved Leicester from the drop in 2015 by plundering seven wins and a draw from the last nine games of the season.
Asked if keeping the Hornets up would be his greatest achievement yet – with them seven points adrift of safety when he arrived eight months ago – he added: “Ask me that question in a few weeks.
“Do we believe in ourselves? Do I believe we have good players? Yes – and the players are really keen to improve on our current form.”
Pearson will hand former England striker Danny Welbeck only his fifth start in 12 months tonight against Norwich.
Meanwhile, Daniel Farke has insisted he wants to stay and lead the Canaries back to the top flight.
Norwich are on the brink of relegation after losing to Brighton and Farke said: “The job is draining and takes energy.
“A tough season is even more exhausting.
“I have experience and this was an especially long season with unique challenges.”