Pearson is aiming high with City transfer plans
BRISTOL City manager Nigel Pearson will use the summer to build a competitive side that has the ability to grind out “scruffy” victories as he sets an ambitious target to challenge for promotion.
Pearson quickly put Saturday’s Huddersfield defeat behind him and was eager to look forward to the changes that will occur over the next two months.
The Ashton Gate boss has been bullish in the last three weeks regarding his current squad, having informed those that are not part of his plans that they should start looking for other clubs.
City will unveil their retained list this week to provide a more clear indication of the positions that the manager will need to strengthen.
Although it is clear that Pearson already has his transfers plans and targets in mind and despite a 17th place finish this season, he wants to add players with a winning mentality to help achieve his lofty targets.
“We’ll get better, and the challenge for us now is to put together a campaign which gives us a chance of getting promoted ourselves,” said Pearson. “That may sound like pie in the sky, but it doesn’t matter. We need to aim high, there’s no point in setting the bar low. Players that come in will need a strong desire to achieve.
“I don’t want journeymen who just want to come in and play for a nice club. I don’t want that, we’re not about that. We need to find that competitive edge that allows us to over-achieve results-wise. For a lot of our players, it’s a first season in the Championship and it is a tough one to succeed in and be able to perform at your best every week.
“What we need to add to our armoury is winning scruffily when we’re not at our best. Sometimes that’s a bit of experience and sometimes it’s having the right tools. We need to strengthen our squad, and we will do.”
Pearson will prioritise defensive improvement and was linked with a free transfer for Derby’s experienced central defender Curtis Davies on Sunday. He will also look to provide competition at right wing-back, having put the burden on midfielder Alex Scott to fill the problem position for the majority of the season.
However, the manager also hinted at the possibility of signing a goalscoring midfielder to ease the pressure on City’s front three, who have scored 42 goals this season. Scott ended the season as the fourth top scorer with four, one ahead of Nahki Wells and two more than Rob Atkinson.
Pearson added: “We’ve got goals in those areas, but that puts an awful lot of expectation and weight of responsibility on them. There are areas that we need to strengthen, but it’s not going to be a heavy spending window, it’ll be trying to get players in that have a hunger to succeed.”
Meanwhile, former Bristol City and Cheltenham midfielder Marlon Pack will be released from Cardiff at the end of his contract.
The 31-year-old announced his departure with on social media to end his three-year spell in Wales, having made 107 appearances since leaving Ashton Gate.
Pack’s exit comes as little surprise, having fallen out of favour under manager Steve Morrison. His last League appearance for Cardiff came against Pearson’s side in City’s 3-2 victory over their rivals in January.
He wrote on his social media: “My time at Cardiff has come to an end. I want to thank the fans for all your support, especially in the pandemic, and this season where it hasn’t gone how we all wanted.”
■ Ex-Bristol City and Bristol Rovers forward Peter Beadle is stepping back into management with Yate Town in the Southern League.
The 49-year-old, who is based near Stroud, has been out of football since December 2020 after he left Barnet, picking up just four wins in 16 matches during a four-month stint with the National League side.
The former Hereford FC boss said: “I’m delighted to take the role as manager of Yate Town.
“They are local to me and play a part in my playing history as I’ve played at the ground with Bristol Rovers. I know a lot of the people involved on the football side of things and I’m looking forward to getting started.”