SL was the one who initiated contact with NP in the first place. I can't imagine there's anybody in football (or outside for that matter) that is not aware of NP's prickly exterior, even though he's supposed to be the opposite if you're on the inside! So SL will be fully aware of who Nige is and the possibility of disagreements. I think it's healthy for an employee to challenge people up the ladder, and those up the ladder should equally like a challenge (they are likely to have had huge challenges in business in order to be successful?!)
I did wonder if NP fancies a move upstairs, he has bought a house in the area and seems to love it. With all the talk of his bucket list etc, perhaps he would prefer a mentor/DOF type of role.