Former Nottingham Forest midfielder John McGovern has given his full backing to manager Stuart Pearce.
Pearce's first six-and-a-half months in charge at the City Ground has not delivered the results required by a club such as Forest, especially after winning just twice in their past 20 matches.
Forest currently sit 13th on the Championship table ahead of Saturday's East Midlands clash with arch rivals Derby County but McGovern - a legend of both clubs - does not believe Pearce will be facing the axe if he cannot mastermind a win over Steve McClaren's second-placed Rams.
"Forest have been on a very poor run lately, but I don't think Stuart is under any more pressure now than he was at the start of the season," McGovern, who acts as Forest ambassador and advisor to chairman Fawaz Al Hasawi, told Sky Sports News HQ.
"We are all big enough and brave enough to know the situation. He needs to win a game. Forest need to win a game. He knows managers lose their jobs if they keep losing, or not winning matches. But Fawaz has been fantastic in his support. He's just let Stuart bring in a couple of loan players, so that shows his backing.
"And I think - not everyone - but the vast majority of supporters are behind the manager. He is Forest through and through, and they appreciate that.
"When he walked out at the City Ground for his first match [the 2-0 win against Blackpool in August] the noise was incredible. I'd not heard anything like that since we played a European Cup semi-final down here, and that's 30-odd years ago.
"Yes, he's having a tough time at the moment, but the supporters, staff and players are all totally behind him. Things have to improve. And this is the perfect game for things to start."
