IF Ranieri HAS lost the Dressing Room, How Did This Happen?

[norwichfox]

8 minutes ago, z-layrex said:

I think this is the new Leicester that i'm finding hardest to deal with, for the past few years we've always had such fight. I knew this season would be difficult, but this?

I keep reading we are in a relegation fight....but we aren't we don't fight anymore.

[bovril]

2 hours ago, 5waller5 said:

There seems to be emerging a popular theory that Ranieri is a different character behind closed doors and is unpopular with the players.....

 

We only get a very narrow view of the situation and have to make guesses based on what we see and hear ..... But for me, if this was the case, if i was Ranieri I'd be accepting offers for those "trouble-making" players and replacing them - we'd be seeing a very active transfer window surely??????

I heard this on the Graun podcast. Tbf I don't like my boss very much put I still do my job to the best of my abilities, is it really so difficult for these players to give a shit from time to time?

[Guest MattP]

10 minutes ago, bovril said:

I heard this on the Graun podcast. Tbf I don't like my boss very much put I still do my job to the best of my abilities, is it really so difficult for these players to give a shit from time to time?

Absolutely, some people think it would be an excuse for lack of effort if they didn't like Claudio. It isn't. 

[ClaphamFox]

9 minutes ago, MattP said:

Absolutely, some people think it would be an excuse for lack of effort if they didn't like Claudio. It isn't. 

Of course it's not an excuse, but if it's true that the players no longer respect Ranieri then the club has a serious problem. We can all agree that the players should respect the manager or at least play for pride or for the fans or whatever, but arguing about what should be happening will have no impact whatsoever on what is actually happening. The club has to deal with the real situation, not the one we all wish existed.

[Koke]

18 hours ago, sm1 said:

When he came here Marcel Desailly said that Ranieri gives the impression of being laid back and gentle, but he's a real aggressive and ruthless cvnt when he wants to be. He's older now, but I can't believe he's become a door mat in his older age. I genuinely believe that Ranieri doesn't know what the problems are, which is most worrying.

 

 

A bit like Wenger it seems. Parlour and Henry have said that Wenger almost never gets angry even when they lose 8-2 or something. I feel it's the same with Ranieri at the age of 65. 

[Guy]

18 hours ago, STUHILL said:

It's bizarre. I can handle the poor start due to a hangover and some complacency etc, but for it to go on this long and to not even see the players working hard and closing down like they used to. You would expect us to be working our socks off at the very least due to the pure pride factor of being Champions and in this situation. 

 

I can't believe one of the nicest guys in the game could have lost the support of the dressing room. He stuck with 4-4-2 for so long, just to keep them all happy and yet they continued to look dis-interested and not work hard enough. 

 

Lack of confidence shouldn't effect your ability to close people down and run your socks off. 

 

I feel sorry for Claudio, I think he has been patient, more than fair with them, tried to change things but they just haven't responded and I have no idea why. 

 

He has to hold his hands up on the transfers though. So important he makes up for it in this window. N'didi is a good start but we desperately need some defenders and a creative player in the middle. 

 

 

Indeed, Mendy hasn't been the real deal at all to replace Kante and Ndidi will still have the "one for the future" tag for some time to come before he can be an asset to the team one would think, perhaps a bit like Gray. I didn't see any evidence of the players "working their socks off" at all from what I saw of the Southampton game on Match Of The Day - just the players all looking collectively uncomfortable being played out of position, second to everything, while all looking like they were blaming each other for each goal conceded - and basically not bothered in the end! It's as if it is an entirely different team from a year ago but it isn't at all in essence! They were totally outfought in every department by the Saints - a team who were in very poor form too lest we forget with the supporters calling for the managers head there in recent weeks. These facts showed us up in an even worse light at the final whistle!

 

Indeed, apart from our credible draw at Spurs in October then we've been truly awful away from home all season long (with a win at a second rate Brugge being all we've mustered!). While we've been adequate at home, then the facts don't lie this season either re our away performances in particular. At least two seasons ago during the barren run from the September to March, then while we were losing plenty of games under Pearson the results often didn't do justice to the gallant, yet near miss performances on the pitch whereby we were unlucky to lose a fair chunk of the games that we did. The team's quality and determination shone through in the end of course, even though our run in wasn't a difficult one. This season has been about as far removed as can be from back then! - and of course from last season, a season which I still think I must have dreamt about!!

[ZeGuy]

51 minutes ago, bovril said:

I heard this on the Graun podcast. Tbf I don't like my boss very much put I still do my job to the best of my abilities, is it really so difficult for these players to give a shit from time to time?

That's not how it works in football. You can't sack them. Send them to the reserve, bench yes, fire them, no. That' the big difference.

 

Tbf I don't give too much in the "blame the players". I find it too simplistic. Ranieri is a much responsible as them. I think there is always two sides of the story, too many things behind the doors are unknown.

[Col city fan]

Just now, Koke said:

 

A bit like Wenger it seems. Parlour and Henry have said that Wenger almost never gets angry even when they lose 8-2 or something. I feel it's the same with Ranieri at the age of 65. 

Ian Wright's autobiography is a good read if you want to know anything much about Wenger. The difference, claims Wright, from having George Graham as manager to Wenger (with Rioch in the middle I think?) was absolutely huge.

Wenger usually keeps it on the low down, doesn't shout, doesn't even talk much in the dressing room. Just keeps it as calm as he can. Or at least he did back then. He seems to have gotten more irate with age!

Whatever 'Raneri's way' is, no-one is telling me that there isn't something wrong with the club at the moment. Some of the football we are watching from City over the past few months now is truly terrible stuff. To have conceded more goals already this season than the whole of last is a remarkable stat and indefensible.

[jim5000]

16 hours ago, Struwwelpeter60 said:

Why do you think, that attitude would change under a new manager?

Well that's the managers job, managing the players. If a team isn't performing in any industry, the first person to ask is the manager of that team. They are the ones responsible for ensuring the team performs as expected and that includes development and attitude.

[Thracian]

8 hours ago, winchesterton said:

I could understand players getting complacent and losing that 10% of their game. But this is beyond belief. They're all still footballers and should at least be somewhat interested/capable of doing more than a sulky teenager in PE. It's one thing to lose a yard, but half our players hardly bother to break a sweat. 

 

Again, it's for the manager to understand what damage the euphoria of success can do, to let the players celebrate and then to get their minds focused on new targets. 

 

Winning a title or a cup competition isn't the be all and end all of anything. There's always another peak to climb, another challenge to face. 

But it's the manager whose best placed to instil renewed enthusiasm if the players can't do it for themselves.

 

A close and contemporary friend of mine has just died, while I was playing golf against our club professional..    

At 68 years old I can't wait to contest the next competition with its peanuts for prizes.

 

Our footballers need to stop feeling sorry for themselves and be bloody grateful they've got life, breath, good health and the chance to enjoy a lifestyle, and to do things, most people can only dream about.

 

And yes, I do understand what it's like to do something in sport that I've no realistic chance of ever doing again. Several things actually and  I'll never any one of them.

 

But the next day they were history and didn't make any difference to my commitment to and enjoyment of everything in sport that followed.         

 

Even my trip to Southampton Sunday will be remembered fondly for the cracking good humour of the fans. 

 

 

  

[smudgerfox]

8 hours ago, sylofox said:

If you take Ulloa's agents story as true (I'm not saying it is) you could see how he's lost the dressing room. If he has been lying to Leo how many more has he lied to.

 

Piss off the wrong two or three you would soon lose the lot.

But did you see what he's supposed to have lied about? That he promised we wouldn't sign another striker and then he signed Slimani. Why should any manager give that assurance, to the agent of ANY player? We were in the Champions League - at the historical pinnacle of the club's achievement - and we're not supposed to strengthen and give ourselves more/better options? The agent has demanded Leo be allowed to move to Alaves for £1.8-million - a £9-million signing two and a half  seasons ago now with a Premier League title to his name! Ulloa has definitely been treated harshly in team selection - but rest assured if he'd looked full of goals every time he stepped foot on the pitch, I'm certain he'd have displaced Slimani and Vardy. 

 

[jim5000]

5 hours ago, Lako42 said:

Which to me is absolutely ****ing bizarre.

 

They are footballers paid to play football, if they don't have an issue with him on the footballing side then they need to grow the **** up and stop acting like spoilt little brats.

 

Do these same players who have an issue with the 'personality' of the man have a such a massive issue with the attitude, personality and outright criminal behaviour of Danny Simpson, or do they all forgive that because he has good birthday parties and is on the same mental level.

 

They have no right to perform the way they are because they don't like the personality of someone, it's utterly unacceptable and they need to show the paying public a bit more ****ing respect.

 

At the same time, have you ever worked in a team where everyone hated the manager or thought they were terrible? Performance in this instances naturally falls through the floor. As others have said, if this is what's happened it's terrible given what Claudio gave to everyone at Leicester last season, and it's hard to see how realistically their opinion of him could of dropped so much in 6 months.

[sylofox]

14 minutes ago, smudgerfox said:

But did you see what he's supposed to have lied about? That he promised we wouldn't sign another striker and then he signed Slimani. Why should any manager give that assurance, to the agent of ANY player? We were in the Champions League - at the historical pinnacle of the club's achievement - and we're not supposed to strengthen and give ourselves more/better options? The agent has demanded Leo be allowed to move to Alaves for £1.8-million - a £9-million signing two and a half  seasons ago now with a Premier League title to his name! Ulloa has definitely been treated harshly in team selection - but rest assured if he'd looked full of goals every time he stepped foot on the pitch, I'm certain he'd have displaced Slimani and Vardy. 

 

Also claimed that Leo would get a pay rise he has not.

 

So if we take it as true he's lied and a reason he could have pissed players off.

[jim5000]

18 minutes ago, sylofox said:

Also claimed that Leo would get a pay rise he has not.

 

So if we take it as true he's lied and a reason he could have pissed players off.

 

That also has to be taken as a pinch of salt. There are so many ways Claudio could of said it - "I'll see what I can do", "We're reviewing all player contracts and you will be included in the review" etc. etc. There are many ways the manager can say something or allude to something without it actually happening.

 

Obviously Leo's agent has an incentive to get a him a new contract or agitate for a move - it's how he earns his money.

[The_77]

17 hours ago, HoustonFox said:

English is the official language of Nigeria so they are ok.

 

Schmeichel pretty much grew up in the UK, Huth is pretty darn fluent, as is Fuchs.  Zieler struggles a little, but has very soft hands, so that makes up for it... (@The_77)

So soft.

[sylofox]

8 minutes ago, jim5000 said:

 

That also has to be taken as a pinch of salt. There are so many ways Claudio could of said it - "I'll see what I can do", "We're reviewing all player contracts and you will be included in the review" etc. etc. There are many ways the manager can say something or allude to something without it actually happening.

 

Obviously Leo's agent has an incentive to get a him a new contract or agitate for a move - it's how he earns his money.

Ffs my original post said if true. My post was also a reply to the OP.

[China Black]

9 hours ago, ClaphamFox said:

On the Guardian podcast last night they were saying that there are widespread rumours in the media that Ranieri is "wildly unpopular" in the dressing room and that a number of the senior players - led by Schmeichel - cannot stand him. It was implied that this is a personality issue more than a football one, that Ranieri is a very different character away from the cameras, and that things are coming to a "very sad end".

 

Judge for yourselves: from about 35.50 in

If this is true, then it is a sad state of affairs. The players are a disgrace for turning on a manager that brought them success last season. They should show more respect to the man IMO. If anything, he should weald the axe and get rid of them.

[NotTheMarketLeader]

5 hours ago, HankMarvin said:

Agreed, wasnt it reported last year Vardy always swearing at CR, all good and well when Vardy is the cream of the league. Not so good when seriously trying to address under performing form.

 

The Comebacks and fight from last year Villa, Stoke etc were installed in the NP era Man u springs to mind, plus never losing by more than 2 goals even with no confidence rooted at the bottom of the table.

 

These players heads are down with in minutes of kick off.

 Perfectly happy to read people lamenting the ways things have gone in recent months, but I'm sick to the back teeth of hearing ..,Nige did this..Pearson did that....when Nige was in charge we lost

by no more than 2 goals..

 

Fffs that bloke nearly got us relegated, and since acting like a complete willy puller when our manager he's proven to be virtually unemployable. 

 

Get in the present ffs

[Vardinio'sCat]

Just reading Northcrofts book on last season, and it's very good, plenty of stuff I hadn't heard before.

 

NG was described by someone (speaking about tactics) as 'footballing glue', and it seems quite relevant to this discussion. When I first saw Kante play I could not believe what I was seeing. I had never seen the like, anywhere, ever.

 

We could have lost any other player, and this would not be happening, but we have seen signs of hope in recent matches, since Mendy and Ndidi got involved. CR needs to find a system that gives us balance, asap, and try and stick to it.

 

I think the 433 was the best recently, but once you dump your commitment to 442/4231 it must be tempting to try and tactically adapt to different opponents, and that can cause the players to loose their bearings.

 

I'm skeptical over claims he has lost the dressing room's goodwill, but he certainly lost them tactically against Southampton. The only good thing is that he admitted in interviews afterwards, which is quite unusual.

 

[HankMarvin]

1 hour ago, NotTheMarketLeader said:

 Perfectly happy to read people lamenting the ways things have gone in recent months, but I'm sick to the back teeth of hearing ..,Nige did this..Pearson did that....when Nige was in charge we lost

by no more than 2 goals..

 

Fffs that bloke nearly got us relegated, and since acting like a complete willy puller when our manager he's proven to be virtually unemployable. 

 

Get in the present ffs

Thats good of you your highness

 

Unfortunately your not going to agree with everything you read on a forum as its opinion based, the point is it shows how shit we have been in comparison to such a bad time 2 years ago.

 

ffs

ffs

fffs

 

Lets not upset you anymore and for your benefit not reference the previous manager with the same nucleus of team and how they performed.

 

[NewEnglandFox]

Peason's newly promoted Leicester never lost by more than 2 goals. Ranieri's recently crowned champions have lost by 3 goals 4 times (5 counting Porto).

[Donut]

7 minutes ago, NewEnglandFox said:

Peason's newly promoted Leicester never lost by more than 2 goals. Ranieri's recently crowned champions have lost by 3 goals 4 times (5 counting Porto).

This is not a Pearson v Ranieri thread.

[foxes21]

if he has lost the dressing room as the guardian's podcast suggests, that is very worrying. Quite frankly, If this is the case I can see the players not bothering against Derby or in the league and won't perform until Ranieri goes.... We saw it happen with Chelsea & Mourinho. Really, really hope this isn't true.

 

 

[biggs]

4 minutes ago, foxes21 said:

does what the journo's said on the guardian podcast have substance? if he has lost the dressing room as they suggest, that is very worrying. Quite frankly, If this is the case I can see the players not bothering against Derby or in the league and won't perform until Ranieri goes.... We saw it happen with Chelsea & Mourinho. Really, really hope this isn't true.

 

 

If we lose to Derby of all teams.....omg.....that would hurt bad and arguably at that point we could seriously question whether or not big problems are brewing within.

 

 

[LJS]

The "Pearson never lost by more than two goals" argument is piss weak. We were ****ing awful for most of that season and deserved to be bottom of the league. A myth has grown that we were never as bad as that. We were. We were losing narrowly after Pearson began to set us up negatively because we were conceding too many early on in the season. We may not have been on the end of thrashings but we rarely looked like scoring either. Four central midfielders at home to West Brom. The disgrace of a performance at Villa Park in the FA Cup. I'm a Pearson fan but let's not be pretending he had no faults. Thankfully he took a more positive tactical approach when it looked as though there was little left to lose.

 

It is also false that Ranieri won the league riding the crest of a Pearson initiated wave. He absolutely benefited from the team spirit and backroom systems put in place by Pearson. I'm sure Ranieri would be the first to acknowledge this. But his tactical approach has been different from that of Pearson and it was Ranieri who made the tactical change (opting for less attacking full backs, which had made us the most exciting team in the country but left us exposed at the back) which ultimately won us the league. We became champions for a lot of reasons. Long term building. Ranieri's tactical nous. Team spirit. Luck. Lots of ingredients were required and things fell into place.

 

If it is true that Ranieri has lost the dressing room then the players are ***** to a man. This man won them the league. The bloke has had a mostly excellent career, managing big clubs at the top end of big leagues. Yes, there are black marks on his CV.  But when a career is as long as Ranieri's some leaner times are inevitable. What had any of our players achieved before last season, in relative terms? Next to **** all. Unfortunately we can't just get rid of all the players. So Ranieri will have to go. It's a massive shame but if the dressing room is lost then the manager is the one to leave. I hope we give him until the end of the season and let him leave with some dignity.