Ranieri sacked

[Chico1958]

so kp is looking for a coaching job at Leicester now that Derby won't get in the premiership. Kissing arse don't sit well with me.

[lgfualol]

Oh no, what ever will we do without Ana Basic's support. 

[MC Prussian]

10 minutes ago, lgfualol said:

Oh no, what ever will we do without Ana Basic's support. 

Ana Basic, Leicester City FC supporter (2016-2017).

 

Next stop: Tottenham Hotspur. Her hobbies: Stalking Harry Kane and defending Mauricio Pochettino like a bitch looks after its puppies.

[Ted Maul]

Not sure if it's been mentioned, but I think Shakespeare's interview after the game last night spoke volumes- when asked why he opted for a high pressing strategy, he said it was because we're a better team when we press and the players enjoy that side of their game.

 

The word 'better' stuck out for me- almost as though he was comparing it to the side which sat back under Ranieri.

[Mease]

3 hours ago, lgfualol said:

Oh no, what ever will we do without Ana Basic's support. 

I am done with Ana.

[Corky]

32 minutes ago, Ted Maul said:

Not sure if it's been mentioned, but I think Shakespeare's interview after the game last night spoke volumes- when asked why he opted for a high pressing strategy, he said it was because we're a better team when we press and the players enjoy that side of their game.

 

The word 'better' stuck out for me- almost as though he was comparing it to the side which sat back under Ranieri.

Teams always look different when they press from the front, running towards the ball makes it look like you are working harder. Holding a position throughout doesn't and that all lessens running stats. I've no doubt we are running more but crucially, the team looks better because the players are supporting each other- Vardy is not running alone any more, he has a couple of players backing him so if we get the ball it's easier to stay up the pitch.

 

All three games under Shakespeare has seen us hassle the opposition early on- it sets the tempo and it's easier then to retreat into a defensive shape from an attacking one than vice versa.

[smr]

A lot of what I've seen on social media is rather irritating tbh, a lot of people are angry with the owners and players for axing Claudio and there have been a lot of silly comments from other team's fans - things like calling the players snakes for their apparent part in Claudio's demise. The problem with this is that they don't fully know what has gone on behind the scenes, nor do any of us. But the bigger problem with this and the one major denominator in all of it is that they haven't seen all of our games this season; most Leicester City fans have.

I've been to every home game this season except for one or two, and watched 95 percent of our away games so I've basically seen all of our games and knew we were in trouble in the very first opening game of the season against Hull. Something just didn't look right at all - everyone at first seemed to think it was the lack of Kante's presence within the team - but as the games went on it became apparent that there was more to it, and I think the trouble probably started brewing before that Hull game.

I don't think we'll ever fully know the reason why Claudio lost the dressing room, that is, until biographies on the matter are published years from now. But the one thing that cannot be argued is that Claudio, for whatever reason, definitely lost the dressing room.

To see such a swing from last season to some of the performances we've put in this season was quite frankly incredible in terms of the stark contrast between the two.

For me personally I think Middlesbrough at home was our worst performance of the season, even though we managed to quite remarkably scrape a 2-2 draw from it. They were mightily unlucky to go home without three points.

That game really was a mess from our perspective - most of the game we looked like a completely disorganized Sunday league outfit after having been out on the Town the night before. It went from that to before Claudio's dismissal me and my Dad meeting outside the turnstiles saying to one another we don't mind if we lose as long as the players put the effort in, but they didn't. For me they've not put the effort in all season until the Liverpool game, second half first leg vs Seville, Hull and then last night - and tbf that Man City game at home which, after the euphoria of it had settled and we quickly turned **** again was put down to Man City's lack of strength rather than us having our Leicester back.

I've got Jonathan Northcroft's 'Fearless' book, about the way we won the title and the signing of Ranieri and there are quite a lot of interesting points made in it. When he came to Leicester he saw the way we were setup and how everything was in place but he was still told by the backroom staff to leave things as they were... he duly did, but there were little things he tried to change. However he didn't in the end - and he must be applauded for that - along with the backroom staff for standing firm on the foundation, ethos and groove the players and squad found themselves in after the back of the great escape.

For me, Ranieri was the perfect manager in the world for our 15/16 season. The reason being that the way he handled the media was absolutely superb - his tactical choices and substitutions were first class - every decision went right for him and us and he quite frankly didn't really put a foot wrong. The jovial, jokey character he portrayed to the media was the perfect cover for the players and taking the pressure off them. He'll always be a legend at our club for that and I've got nothing but huge respect for him, always will have.

It's such a shame that 16/17 materialized into his dismissal from the club though - February 23rd, the day the news broke that he'd been axed I'll always remember - it was my Birthday - I'd just been to get a bottle of wine and a Chinese, come home to put a film on but spent the night on social media, foxes talk forum and even got on Radio Leicester saying I think Martin O'Neill would be a worthy shout again when the new manager question was popped... Ranieri's sacking was on the cards, the ultimatum and vote of confidence was given, and Millwall was the nail in the coffin. He had to go and the owners have to be respected for making such a tough decision, but they chose right, and now Leicester have gone back to playing like last season - a back to basics fashion, quick, high pressing, counter attacking - don't let the opposition breathe - electrified game plan - worked for us last season and it's working for us at the moment.

From my point of view the things Ranieri did wrong, whether right or not I don't know but it's just my opinion -

He (very sadly) started tinkering a lot, something we feared when he first joined the club - but never did in the first season.
Quite frankly bizarre team selections and tactical choices .
Things like Chilwell being chosen to come into the team - playing really well - and then Fuchs going back in the team, dropping Chilwell for no apparant reason - and then us having to watch Fuchs have absolute nightmare games.
There was so much chopping and changing of players that they didn't know whether they were coming or going which resulted in a lot of disorientation and disharmony in the squad - the players have pointed to this being a major problem after his sacking.
I think Claudio for whatever reason became too controlling as well - even read something before the game last night about him binning a load of butter from the post match player's spread of food !
Apparantly he had fallings out with the backroom staff. Shakey says he never fell out with Claudio but I was sat behind the tunnel for the Derby FA Cup game at home where he was stood with Ranieri in the technical area - after that game he stood no where near him and Claudio cut a lone figure on the touchline, which was quite sad to see - then the player's reactions when Seville scored in the first leg of the CL games - looking at Claudio and looking like they were talking behind his back.

Whatever you believe, it's clear he lost the players, and he ultimately failed to manage them - which was the job he was assigned to do after all.

I do however have to question some of the players though - some of their performances, no, a lot of their performances this season - can they all be attributed to a lack of management? Vardy in particular stands out for me, he's a forward, granted he wasn't getting service the way Claudio set us up to play but his running off the ball, harrying defenders like he used to, he wasn't doing...then it was like a switch had been flicked against Liverpool - jumping around like a salmon on speed, he says the media got him fired up with all the "ousting" comments... which you can understand, but still... some of their performances were so utterly rubbish and had such a lack of effort in them that it almost makes me wonder if they were playing purposely ****!

Obviously this wouldn't be the case- you'd never purposely play badly even if you really didn't get on with your manager - it's an absurd thought. And this was a man, after all, despite the tinkering and frustrations he gave the players, who had just helped them win the biggest trophy of their lives. I'm sure the players have huge respect for him and always will, but this new lease of life under Shakespeare and perhaps the hurt they are feeling from the media has re-ignited the fire in their bellies and unleashed the beast which we saw last season - well it certainly has actually - we have got our Leicester back.