Nigel Pearson aware of pressure and pitfalls at Leicester City

Nigel Pearson accepts that he will have little time to make an impression in his second spell as Leicester City manager, as he comes to terms with the increased expectation levels at a club where promotion to the Premier League is the immediate target. The 48-year-old, whose appointment was confirmed on Tuesday night after a compensation package was agreed with Hull City after 12 days of negotiations, admitted that he is under no illusions about the importance of getting off to a good start in a division where the average managerial lifespan is less than a year. Pearson's task is arguably made all the more difficult because of the pressure of delivering the success that Leicester's owners felt was beyond Sven-Goran Eriksson, who was sacked last month, with the club only two points off the play-offs. "There's very little honeymoon period in anyone's reign these days so I don't expect one. It's hit the ground running and try to get the right result on Sunday [against Crystal Palace]," said Pearson, who guided Leicester to the League One title in 2009 and the Championship play-off semi-finals the following season before resigning from his post to take over at Hull. "I have come into this job with my eyes wide open in the sense that I know people will expect results quickly. I believe [a Championship manager's shelf life] is under a year. It's quite alarming the number of managers who lose their jobs. What we do need to do is prove we can take the club forward. Ultimately, it's about achieving promotion." Pearson, who has signed a contract until the end of the 2013-14 season, is confident he can return Leicester to the top flight for the first time since 2004. "I'm prepared to back myself," he said. "The expectation levels wherever you go now are high. Football is a high-profile sport, everyone wants their club to be a success. I get the impression – and I'm prepared to back my judgment on this – that they [the board] are very supportive. I'm prepared to take on the challenge."