Pearson: Players Win Games, Not Systems

The Blues boss was reluctant to accept credit for a half-time switch that appeared to turn Saturday’s brilliant come-from-behind victory at West Bromwich Albion, instead pointing to the spirit and quality of the men that made the formation work.
With his side 2-1 down and in need of a win at The Hawthorns, Pearson introduced centre-back Marcin Wasilewski for full-back Ritchie De Laet at the interval, switching from a 4-2-3-1 to a more attacking 3-4-3.
It proved a masterstroke, as the Foxes seized control of a game that had been getting away from them. They dominated possession, equalised through Robert Huth with 10 minutes to go and won it with Jamie Vardy’s last-gasp strike.
“Possibly,” said Pearson when asked post-match whether the tactical switch had made the difference. “But it’s players that win games, not necessarily systems.
“The players were frustrated that we couldn’t get any flow to our game in the first half against a side that looked a bit nervy themselves. There were too many unforced errors.
“But fair play to our players, in the second half we managed the ball a lot better, we looked dangerous and we caused them a lot of problems.
“They don’t need me ranting and raving at them, it’s about seeing what needs rectifying and doing something about it. We played with more quality in the second half and when there’s a shift in a system it was going to be about who bossed possession.
“Ultimately, the players went out in the second half and performed with spirit, but it was the quality that got us there in the end.”
Though the Foxes remain bottom of the table, their second win in succession has pulled them to within three points of the safety line with seven games of the season remaining.
Their plight has made winning games a necessity and Pearson feels the requirement to be positive has brought out the best in his squad.
“I’d rather not have used a defensive sub early because, when you’re trying to win the game, you want as many options open to you as possible. It was necessary today because we didn’t have a flow, so we changed to three at the back against a side playing quite direct and that allowed our offensive players to get forward a bit more.
“For the most part this season, especially away from home, we’ve tried to be as positive as we can. We’re not necessarily the best side at sitting back in games, we’re better playing with that aggression. The down side of that is you probably concede a few more goals.
“We had to take a few chances. We need to try to win games and we had plenty of attacking threat on the pitch. With the likes of David Nugent, Jamie Vardy, and Riyad Mahrez, who we were able to bring on, we had a lot of craft out there.
“We’ve had occasions of late, especially away from home, where things haven’t gone our way, so today it’s nice to make things go our way.”