Pearce wants permanent City post

Galley told BBC Sport: "I don't know if it is a coincidence but since he became assistant manager at the start of the season our defence is a lot better.

"His pedigree as a footballer was excellent - what he will turn out to be like as a manager I don't know.

"But we must wait and see whether City want someone with more experience."

Galley agreed with Kevin Keegan's decision to leave the club, after originally planning to stay on until his contract ended in June 2006.

"I didn't see it coming," he said. "I thought it would happen during the summer but he is right to go now.

"It was been causing a little bit of uncertainty. Last week David James came out publicly and said the situation needed to be cleared up. It was spreading through the club so I think it was right to clear it up now."

Some of the fans would argue that apart from the fact his judgement on signings wasn't very good I don't think some of us were too keen on his tactics Alan Galley

And although Keegan had become unpopular with some fans recently, Galley feels he will be remembered favourably for where he has taken the club.

"He's been reasonably successful," he added. "The club has stabilised and is probably more professional than it was before. The fans admire him to a degree for what he has done.

"When we came out of the old First Division I don't think we had seen football like that at the old Maine Road for a number of years, if ever. It was very exciting.

"The first season back in the Premiership was reasonable too.

"The biggest disappointment was that since then we seem to have stagnated and if anything we've gone backwards.

Keegan ends his reign at City

"Some of the fans would argue that apart from the fact his judgement on signings wasn't very good I don't think some of us were too keen on his tactics.

"At times they left a little bit to be desired but that wasn't all the time, at times he got it right."

"Also, the general consensus was that Keegan didn't like throwing youngsters into the team. He preferred experience.

"Now we believe we are safe, people wanted some young players to have a chance. There are two or three youngsters waiting to get in."

On the BBC's 606 message board, other City fans agreed that Keegan was right to go.

One East Stand regular said: "Keegan's success has to be judged by what he had when he joined, and the state of the club as it is today.

"Yes he won promotion to the Premiership in some style, and yes we gained a Uefa Cup spot in our first season.

"But since then the club, at best, has been at a standstill which a lot of City fans find hard to stomach with nearly �50m spent in the process.

"A lot of what is good about the club, either was already there, (Shaun Wright-Phillips), or has been developed by Jim Cassell of the youth academy, not Keegan."

I really hope City are not going to string Pearce on, and then dump on him come summer. He doesn't deserve that From E Have your say on 606

Another contributor, Brand, agreed - but feels the club should look to a foreign boss as Keegan's successor.

He said: "Keegan took us as far as he could and that should be applauded but as every City fan will tell you, a manager's success at City will be measured by silverware and he was never going to win us any.

"The time is right for a new man to come in and take us forward.

"Gordon Strachan will just keep us ticking over and not move us forward so he is not the man.

"A new approach is needed and the city fans will not be happy until the board get a competent, proven manager in place. I think we should look abroad.