Pearson: Get The Performance Right

Martin Jol’s side will present formidable opposition at King Power Stadium on Tuesday night, but with a City squad full of players looking to make their stake their claim for a spot in the side, it is sure to be a keenly contested encounter.

With Ritchie De Laet the only confirmed absentee, and a few bumps and bruises from the weekend’s win over AFC Bournemouth to contend with, Pearson has plenty of options for the fixture.

On his team selection, the manager revealed: “We’ve got no real problems, but there are one or two knocks and we’ll have a look at the players in training to see how they are.

“Even before the weekend we made decisions that we’ll make changes [for Fulham]. We’ve got one or two players that need some pitch time, and I don’t think that weakens us at all. The 18 from Saturday’s game are very, very strong and we’ve got a good bench, so it will be a case of tweaking the starting line-up.

“It’ll be interesting because we’re playing against a team that hasn’t been able to get their form right in terms of results in the league, but we know they’ve got some real good quality in their ranks so it’ll be a good test for our players.

“Cup competitions are great for players and fans. I know how much the fans enjoy it and I’ve been fortunate enough to play in big cup ties myself. I know how interesting and important they are to players.

“The players will see it as a good opportunity to see where they’re at themselves. They always make for interesting games.

“I’m just thinking about picking a side to go out and get the performance right. If we get the performance right then we’ll have a good chance of winning the game.”

Despite City’s fine home form – seven straight wins in all competitions, Pearson is fully aware of the size of the task his side have on their hands, adding: “What we’ve got to do is make sure it’s not an easy ride for them.

“We are very aware of their strengths and weaknesses, and we’ll do everything we can to come away with a win, but we’ll have to play well

“I don’t think it’s a case of the Premier League being more or less competitive [than the Championship]; it’s a different tempo. We saw Fulham’s game against Crystal Palace for instance – they have a way of playing in which they pass a lot and have the quality which allows them to change the tempo.

“I think it’s important that we try to play our own way. Of course in doing so, we’ve got to make sure that we don’t leave ourselves too open. They’ve got some quality players, but I know our players are looking forward to playing.”