PEARSON NOT SCARED TO TALK ABOUT DROP

NIGEL PEARSON has reversed Quique Sanchez Flores’ decision to ban the ‘R’ word at Vicarage Road.

Pearson takes charge of his first Watford home game since replacing Flores with his side rooted to the foot of the Premier League – six points from safety.

Flores banned any mention of relegation in the dressing room. But Pearson insists he would be sticking his head in the sand if he tried to ignore the club’s desperate situation.

“We all do things differently and I don’t believe in being critical of my peers or my predecessors,” said Pearson (above) ahead of tomorrow’s match against Manchester United.

“We all have different ways of trying to find the right way of managing ourselves through a situation. But if I ignored the word relegation, I wouldn’t be a realist.

“Whether it’s in the front of your mind or not, it’s got to be there. It’s what we’re trying to escape, so I’m not going to avoid mentioning it in any way.”

The Hornets have scored only four goals in front of their own fans and will still be bottom at Christmas barring a win against United and a heavy defeat for Norwich at home to Wolves today.

That usually means the drop is inevitable, although Pearson has a better record than most at beating that particular hoodoo.

He led Leicester to safety from the same position in 2014-15 and was No.2 to Bryan Robson (both men together, inset) at West Brom when the Baggies became the first club to defy the Christmas jinx in 2005. But no club in the Premier League era has ever stayed up after taking only nine points from their first 17 games as Watford have done.

“I can sit here and talk all I want, but the reality of our situation is that we’ve got to make things happen for ourselves,” added Pearson.

“So yes, I’m a realist. Yes, I know that the situation we’re in statistically and historically would suggest that maybe we don’t have the chance we believe we have to get out of it.

“But that’s what I’m here to do. I wouldn’t be here unless I really thought we could do it.

“While there are mathematical possibilities, that always allows you to keep working in the most positive way.”