Pearson wants Hull City to show derby fervour in every game

It is also why, for much of the Seventies and Eighties, managers of various London clubs would regularly bemoan how much more difficult it was to win the league title due to having so many games to negotiate against their rivals from the capital.

This argument has, of course, since been swept away by the combined effect of Arsene Wenger's management skills and the deep pockets of Roman Abramovich.

Nevertheless, there can be little doubt that derby games retain an ability to throw up wholly unpredictable results, which is why the presence of six Yorkshire clubs in this season's Championship has led suggestions in some quarters that it is going to be doubly hard for anyone from within the Broad Acres to launch a successful promotion challenge in the coming months.

One manager, however, who does not subscribe to this theory is Hull City's Nigel Pearson.

"Having so many clubs from the area in the Championship will make a difference for the fans," says the 46-year-old when taking time out of City's pre-season preparations to speak to the Yorkshire Post at the club's Cottingham training ground.

"They enjoy the extra dimension that a local derby can bring, such as the expectation and pressure to do well against a rival. You lads in the press also enjoy them, as they create plenty of talking points. But, from my point of view, I think every game in the Championship is tough, no matter where the opposition are from.

"Regardless of who you play, I can assure you it is a very tough league – as I think people in Hull know already from their time at this level a couple of years ago.

"Where an opposing team are from makes no difference, and I speak from experience as last season at Leicester we were up against quite a few Midlands teams.

"There were ourselves, Derby, Nottingham Forest and Coventry in the Championship. The games did have that little bit extra in terms of expectation and atmosphere but, ultimately, all that mattered was being consistent.

"What I will tell the players is, 'no matter how the side is set up or what the hallmark of a team is, you have to be consistent throughout – and not just in Yorkshire derbies'."

Pearson's arrival at the KC Stadium was one of the more surprising developments of the summer.

After two hugely successful seasons at Leicester when winning the League One title was followed by the securing of a place in the Championship play-offs, the former Sheffield Wednesday defender and the Foxes seemed a good match.

However, from the moment Hull were granted permission to speak to him over the vacancy in the East Riding, it seems Pearson's mind was made up that a parting of the ways was inevitable.

Now, a little over a month later, the new Tigers manager is fully focused on the job of reviving the fortunes of a club desperate to bounce back from relegation.

In this respect, Pearson will be able to draw on the experience of a couple of years ago when faced with a similar situation at Leicester.

The Foxes, after a turbulent 2007-08 that included getting through three managers, had been relegated to the third tier for the first time in history and were badly in need of a lift.

Pearson, fresh from having kept Southampton in the Championship only to be let go, provided just that, the strength of the revival being such that within weeks of the season getting underway it had become a case of when and not if Leicester would be promoted.

Asked how he performed such a remarkable rescue job, Pearson replied: "It was a combination of lots of things. You have to make changes if required when taking over at a club, regardless of whether the club in question has just been relegated or not.

"You have to create the environment in which the players believe they can be a success.

"That success has to be driven by everyone at a club, not just the manager. It is everyone's responsibility. Your team reflects you in many ways so I will be working very hard to make it my team."

A key factor in achieving this will, according to Pearson, be the presence of Steve Walsh and Craig Shakespeare at the KC Stadium after the pair followed him from Leicester.

He added: "My backroom team are very important. They know how I work and our management model is to have, effectively, two assistant managers. Steve Walsh is also head of recruitment.

"We have had some success. There are no guarantees in football, but they bring a wealth of experience in their own fields. I feel it is important to have those skills."

Hull's season will get underway a week on Saturday at home to Swansea City, another club who have experienced managerial upheaval during the summer.

In the Swans' case, Paulo Sousa opted to move elsewhere after accepting the offer to become Pearson's successor at Leicester.

His replacement was Brendan Rogers, the former Reading and Watford manager taking charge after Swansea had been refused permission to speak to Sheffield United assistant Gary Speed.

Whether Swansea or Hull will be involved in the promotion race remains to be seen.

But what Pearson does believe is that the Championship will once again be a hugely competitive division.

The City manager said: "There will be a lot of clubs challenging. Plenty of teams, probably about a dozen, will think they have a realistic chance of being involved in the race for promotion.

"There could actually be even more this season than last, be it the race for automatic or to qualify for the play-offs. In the last two years, the sixth-placed side has gone up with a late run after building some momentum. That shows just how competitive the division has been.

"The key is to be consistent and competitive. Achieving that is a challenge I am looking forward to."

INS AND OUTS

IN: Nolberto Solano (Leicester City), James Harper (Sheffield United.

OUT: Geovanni, Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, Stephen Hunt (Wolves, 3.5m), George Boateng, Dean Marney (Burnley, 500,000), Bernard Mendy, Steven Mouyokolo (Wolves, 2.5m).

Last season: 19th, Premier League (relegated).

YP verdict: 10th.

Three months ago, the future looked bleak for Hull City. Relegation from the Premier League had come amid huge concerns about the financial implications for a club who had over-spent horrendously during two seasons among the elite.

A further demotion to League One looked a distinct possibility. Since then, however, the picture has improved markedly.

Okay, the finances are still stretched and if the club do not get Jimmy Bullard off the wage bill then the risk is he will become the millstone that Benito Carbone and his 40,000 per week wages eventually became to Bradford City following their relegation from the top flight in 2001.

But, in terms of what happens on the field, the appointment of Nigel Pearson does, at least, mean Hull fans can look forward with more optimism than they probably thought possible in late April.

Goals are a concern, but Pearson's renowned organisational skills will make the Tigers hard to beat and an upper mid-table finish beckons.