Pearce in for the long haul with City

STUART PEARCE is not preparing a nine-game application for the manager’s job at Manchester City - the straight-talking former England defender think he is already in the post long-term.

After chairman John Wardle brought Kevin Keegan’s reign to a formal end with a statement yesterday, Pearce took command and immediately set about the task of beating off any challengers for a job he has been handed until the summer.

Gordon Strachan, Iain Dowie, Sam Allardyce and Ronald Koeman have already been linked with City, while Celtic boss Martin O’Neill has been installed as the preferred choice.