End Of The Road For Ex-Toon Hero

Last updated : 12 March 2007 By Footy Mad - Editor

I don't care what a chairman or board of directors have to say in the way of a "vote of confidence", when you get a reaction like that, something HAS to be done.

We saw it during the reign of Jim Smith and Ruud Gullitt at Newcastle, but I don't think I can remember where fans actually wanted to get onto the pitch to have a go at the players the way the City fans did at Ewood Park. It was a frightening sight.

I remember Jim Smith getting a smack off a fan at a talk-in 16 years ago, and he didn't last long as Newcastle after that, but that was pushed under the carpet and kept out of the newspapers.

It would probably take a big man (or a nutter) to try and do the same to the under-pressure Manchester City manager, but Stuart Pearce (who played 52 games for Newcastle) must know he is on his way out.

Pearce saw his side go down to their fourth defeat in five games and with games to come this week against Chelsea and Middlesbrough, these are difficult times for Pearce.

But Blackburn boss Mark Hughes said: "Management is a difficult job and you have to win games. If you are not winning games then you will come under pressure.

"Stuart is a strong character, a strong personality and I am sure he will be strong enough to deal with the pressure."