Claudio Ranieri’s appointment as Leicester City manager was criticised by many upon his unveiling, however the Italian continues to prove the doubters wrong.
One only has to cast their mind back to July and the reception the Italian received by various pundits and supporters. An article by the Mirror on the new Foxes boss has all the makings of a fantastic time capsule inclusion. Former Foxes great and TV personality, Gary Lineker, was perhaps the highest profile critic, describing Ranieri’s appointment as ‘uninspiring’. Other high-profile critics included Harry Redknapp and Tony Cottee. We at Outside90 also joined in the chorus of those who questioned Leicester City’s judgment at the time.
On the basis of the most recent evidence, there was good reason for the large number of perplexed observers. At the conclusion of his previous managerial stint, the Greek national side under Ranieri’s management had won one game and lost the other four (including a defeat to the Faroe Islands). Since he last graced the Premier League a decade ago, the Italian tactician was something of a managerial journeyman.
Ranieri’s predecessor Nigel Pearson had led the team to an outstanding escape from the clutches of relegation, finishing 14th after seeming certain to suffer the drop. With many indiscretions by both manager and players, Leicester decided to part ways with Pearson, seemingly needing a more public image and a friendly and stable character as boss.
Fast forward to December and the Foxes sit second on the league table. The East Midlands club are equal on points with leaders Manchester City, and following the previous weekend were actually top of the tree. These lofty heights are in stark contrast to where many predicted them to be, widely tipped to be battling for survival.
The Foxes have achieved their impressive run of results (in which their only defeat of the season was a 5-2 defeat to Arsenal) by scoring plenty of goals. In their 14 games, they have amassed 29 goals, the second highest in the league. These goals have come despite ranking 18th in average possession this season, the lowest pass completion success and lowest average short passes per game, according to FourFourTwo. Statistics such as these would lead the reader to conclude that the Foxes are ‘parking the bus’, playing boring, long-ball football, trying to nick results. This is definitely not so.
Knowing the squad’s strengths (and perhaps limitations), Ranieri has set Leicester up to play on the counter, utilising the speed, trickery and directness of his front four, often consisting of man of the moment Jamie Vardy, Shinji Okazaki, Riyad Mahrez and Marc Albrighton. Passing percentage matters little, nor does time in possession. What is essential in making the game plan work, however, is the speed in which the ball transitions from defence to attack. Add to this the record-breaking Vardy – a man in scintillating form – and the Foxes have a lethal method.
The Italian has also seemingly shed the ‘Tinkerman’ moniker he has carried throughout his managerial career. The style and formation has varied little since the successes under Pearson, proving that if things are not broken, do not fix them. Mostly, the Foxes have lined up in a 4-4-2 formation, with simplicity and pragmatism prevailing. The squad has also been strengthened with the personnel that have been added suiting such a method.
There has been continuity with the starting XI selected week-to-week, with the Italian’s biggest surprise perhaps being the benching of Mahrez following an outstanding run of form. Changes have been made, but gradually, with the patient integration of N’Golo Kante, Christian Fuchs and Danny Simpson into the first XI.
Ranieri has been true to his word, and despite being known as the ‘Tinkerman’, he outlined his managerial blueprint upon arriving at Leicester. On the club’s official site, Ranieri insisted that he would not be “chang[ing] too much” from the previous season, while gradually seeking to improve the team’s defence.
Improving the team’s defensive record has proven to be the most difficult for Ranieri, still having conceded 21 goals to date. They have only kept two clean sheets, despite the Italian’s attempted bribery of the players with pizza.
Ranieri, perhaps most importantly, has the players buying in to his methods. From the outside, the Italian seems to be a fantastic man-manager, with players often going on the record in their glowing praise for the boss. He is often jovial in press conferences and while he has noted areas in which he would like to improve the squad, he is also readily willing to praise performances of both the team and individuals. He also promotes humility within the squad, and despite having the equal most points so far, Ranieri maintains that the first goal is to secure safety, aiming for the all important 40-point mark.
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With a combination of the results experienced and the management of players, the squad exudes confidence. They obviously fear nobody and trust in their methods, often snatching points from seemingly hopeless positions throughout the early part of the season. The Foxes have a fortress in the King Power Stadium – perhaps the loudest stadium in the league – and when playing on the road, the Foxes play to take all three points.
Although there is a lot to play out this season, the Foxes are making people believe, and the appointment of Ranieri appears to have been a masterstroke. While many were sceptical at the beginning of his tenure, Ranieri has known all along the way in which he can elicit the most out of a resilient and confident Leicester squad. The question now is not one of safety (despite Ranieri’s insistence) but just how far the Foxes can go.
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