Boss Pearson to retain coaching staff at Robins
BRISTOL City manager Nigel Pearson has confirmed that both Keith Downing and Paul Simpson will be part of his coaching team beyond this summer.
Following the 57-year-old boss being appointed permanently, the attention has turned to recruitment, with backroom team members and new players to arrive this summer.
Pearson delivered an update on the situation to BBC Radio Bristol on Monday evening while speaking to Geoff Twentyman on the weekly Sound of the City radio programme.
With head of performance Andy Rolls having been confirmed as joining Ipswich Town, a new recruit on the medical side will be needed, while the club are also in need of replacing outgoing CEO Mark Ashton. A director of football role is being considered, with the club needing to fill the hole provided by Ashton leaving; the CEO sat at the centre of the recruitment network but with final say given to the head coach on incomings.
“I think what’s really important to point out is that I’m a part of the team myself,” said Pearson, when asked on his involvement beyond first-team duties. “It’s important that everybody knows where they sit in an organisation.
“It’s not about control or having too much power, it’s about being part of a team which is able to come to decisions which are made through a very visible process.
“What I mean by that is what we can’t do is invest money in players coming into the club if there’s not due diligence over players.
“At the moment, football’s in a very, very fragile state certainly for many EFL clubs having huge cash flow problems. It’s amazing that we’re able to still be planning ahead with a very realistic but also very competitive way in which we strengthen the squad.
“We have a very strong foundation but what we have to do is make sure we spend our money wisely.
“People will, I’m sure, want to know what figures we’re looking at... there will certainly be opportunities to bring players in. What we have to do is make sure we build a squad which has the ability to achieve what we’re trying to achieve firstly to get out of the Championship.
“It’s certainly not going to happen in window, and I’ve got to be clear on that: there will be departures and there will be additions,” he added.
New coaching staff will not arrive, however, with existing assistant head coaches Simpson and Downing to remain in position.
The two appointments from the FA joined Dean Holden last summer and Pearson is happy to keep them at the club, along with goalkeeping coach Pat Mountain and Kalifa Cisse, who has a wide-ranging role.
“I’ll bring staff in, yeah,” Pearson explained. “But please don’t make assumptions that that needs to be someone in the coaching staff.
“It’s not always like that. For me, when you take a new position on it’s important to give people an opportunity to show what they’re capable of doing.
“I think we have good coaches at the football club as it happens. I don’t intend to make changes in the coaching department at all because we have very capable coaches.
“There may be changes in other areas, but until we can go public on that I don’t think it’s appropriate to make comments. I’m very keen to bring people in who bring expertise. That’s what it’s about.”