The fairytale is over: Why a cloud still hangs over Claudio Ranieri and Leicester

[Mehrez]

Apologies if this has been posted elsewhere, but an interesting article from John Percy

 

They may have written the greatest fairytale English football has ever seen, but Claudio Ranieri’s reunion with Leicester is unlikely to descend into a love-in on Wednesday night.

 

While Ranieri will always be the man most indelibly linked to Leicester’s 5,000-1 title win, the final months of his second season were a chastening experience. The dream, as Ranieri called it, was turning into a nightmare as the prospect of relegation loomed before he was controversially sacked.

 

He is a Premier League champion, and nothing will ever soil his place in footballing folklore, but there is no question he departed Leicester under a cloud which has yet to fully disperse.

 

The awkward truth is that the resentment Ranieri feels towards certain people at the club was clearly evident when he returned last month to pay his tribute to late chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.

 

There is no question that his sadness was sincere and heartfelt, but multiple sources have told Telegraph Sport that on that day he was allegedly aloof and rude. One has even said his behaviour was “embarrassing”, because of the atmosphere he created. How did it end like this?

 

Ranieri is now charged with leading Fulham to safety

 

Put simply, in that second season it was when Ranieri lived up to his ‘Tinkerman’ nickname that things started to fall apart. He had inherited a team which had won seven of their final nine league games in the 2014-15 season under Nigel Pearson, a well-oiled machine behind the scenes. Craig Shakespeare had a cast-iron bond with the players while the other assistant manager, Steve Walsh, and his recruitment team were on a golden run, unearthing gems such as Riyad Mahrez, Jamie Vardy and N’Golo Kante, to add to a dressing room already stuffed full of strong characters. Few tweaks were needed to a winning formula.

 

"That season I think he summed it up perfectly when he first came in and just said he wasn't going to change anything," reflected Jamie Vardy, when asked about Ranieri's impact. “He knew what we were good at and he didn't want to change anything about it, and he didn't. That was why we had that success.”

This is not to take anything away from Ranieri’s part in the story: his refusal to meddle for meddling's sake enabled Leicester to turn the Premier League world upside down. But the following season things started to go awry.

 

Sources at Leicester claim Ranieri became distant and unpredictable, often declining to listen to players or coaches in team meetings, and was constantly trying new formations and formulas which did not suit the 4-4-2 counter-attacking style Leicester had perfected en route to the title.

Mahrez struggled, the summer recruitment was dreadful before and after Walsh's exit to Everton, while the balancing act of the Champions League and domestic competitions were also difficult to manage. Yet, sadly, there was the clear sense of a manager losing his way.

 

Vardy says that "there was no relationship breakdown", although he did admit the new methods were palpably unsuccessful. "We were trying new things and they weren't working,” he says. “Unfortunately in football the manager is the person who always ends up getting the blame, then someone else comes in and has to take over."

 

Khun Vichai sacked Ranieri in February 2017 because he feared his club was sliding towards relegation, and was deeply concerned about the effect dropping into the Championship would have on the club's staff. Those fans who witnessed the 2-0 defeat at Swansea would probably have agreed, even if from the outside the players were subsequently branded “snakes”.

 

This backdrop to Wednesday's game ensures it will be more than three points for Ranieri.

 

He insisted on Tuesday that he still felt the Leicester squad were "my boys", although he did add "now I have other boys. That’s normal. In every team I loved my players like a son."

 

The 67-year-old is is now charged with avoiding relegation at Fulham and after the visit of Leicester, there are crucial games against West Ham, Newcastle and Huddersfield before the end of the year.

Already, there is talk of another Ranieri “miracle”, though at the moment that sounds a stretch with Fulham only two points adrift of safety. 

 

But a victory over Leicester could prove crucial in Ranieri’s survival mission as he prepares for his latest chapter in English football.

 

“It will be very strange, a very emotional moment, but it is OK - that is football," Ranieri said yesterday. "We spoke a lot about the fairytale. Now the chairman, Vichai, has died the fairytale has finished, but the memories remain."

Edited 4 December 2018 by Mehrez

[Lestoh]

With the absolute most respect to King Ranieri, we’re gonna slap em

[urban.spaceman]

Claudio’s Fairy Tale was only a small part of of Vichai’s Odyssey.

 

Personally I’m looking forward to Top’s Magnum Opus. 

[Jaspa]

[BoyJones]

Claudio had a fantastic season and massive thanks and respect. 

 

The next year, he decided to change things. He was stupid, ruined a proven system, bought good players, but wrong for a Leicester. Seemed to me he had a death wish - why change a good thing. 

 

Personnaly, the loss at Millwall proved to me he was not a good manager. He placed his personal needs / beliefs above the need of the team / supporters. 

 

I will give him plenty of applause tonight, but he overstayed his welcome at City. He would have got us relegated through his stubbornness. Was very happy when he went. 

[NeilLCFC]

When Ranieri came here, he had one of the easiest jobs in football - avoid relegation with a team that had been strengthened, after going on a run of winning 7/9 games. The best thing Claudio did was to leave everything as it was under Pearson. The second we started doing things Claudio’s way, all the years of hard work went to sh*t.

 

We would have won the league with Nige and we would have been in a far far better place the following season under his leadership.

 

Many on here will disagree as they have done in the past, but as time passes, the picture is becoming clearer. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Nige had more to do with us winning the league than Ranieri did.

[UpTheLeagueFox]

28 minutes ago, NeilLCFC said:

We would have won the league with Nige and we would have been in a far far better place the following season under his leadership.

Many on here will disagree as they have done in the past, but as time passes, the picture is becoming clearer. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Nige had more to do with us winning the league than Ranieri did.

I'm a massive fan of what Pearson did for us, constantly moving us forward and assembling the building blocks for future success.

However, I maintain he wasn't astute enough to win us the league himself, it needed a different vision, one which Ranieri could offer.

So while we wouldn't have won the league with him, we wouldn't have won it without his earlier input.

Some people are the right manager at the right time. Pearson was and then Ranieri was.

I strongly doubt Ranieri could've done what Pearson did and vice versa.

And what matters is that both did pretty much the right thing at the right time and we enjoyed the fruits of that.

Let's be glad we had both.

The end.

[Gamble92]

It's difficult to explain to idiots outside of our fanbase just how bad that second season was under Ranieri. 

 

But i think we were expected to put up with it. We are Leicester they all thought. Well sorry we dont deserve the inept attitude and commitment that we got that season. Anyone who thinks any football fan paying their money should just put up with that are clearly one of the 'top 6' fans or pundits that are slowly killing the game.

 

The fairytale was billed as the season that gave everybody hope. It finished any hope of any sort of competition at the top for good. 

 

 

[The whole world smiles]

1 hour ago, NeilLCFC said:

When Ranieri came here, he had one of the easiest jobs in football - avoid relegation with a team that had been strengthened, after going on a run of winning 7/9 games. The best thing Claudio did was to leave everything as it was under Pearson. The second we started doing things Claudio’s way, all the years of hard work went to sh*t.

 

We would have won the league with Nige and we would have been in a far far better place the following season under his leadership.

 

Many on here will disagree as they have done in the past, but as time passes, the picture is becoming clearer. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Nige had more to do with us winning the league than Ranieri did.

Couldn't disagree more. We played a 3 5 2 for the winning run of the great escape season Claudio instantly changed it to a deep lying Italian 4 4 2. He sold Nugent (who Pearson played every week), benched ulloa and made vardy and okazaki the main men. He showed faith in Drinkwater and Albrighton who had limited opportunitys the season before. 

He also sent Pearson fave De Laet on loan and brought in Simpson who had pretty much been frozen out under pearson.

 

Now you may have not liked ranieri for whatever reason. You may feel that he was fortunate with the players and level of expectation he inherited (probably fair). But to try and re-write history and deny he had any contribution is just plain wrong on a factual level. His tactics, expectation management and experience were absolutely vital in winning the league.

 

Let not forget just months before Pearson was telling Leicester fans to fook of and die, strangling palace players, and calling reporters ostriches. If you think he would have took the mass media frenzy the accompanied our title run in his stride (if he could have even got us close to that stage) you are again sadly mistaken. 

[ozleicester]

Some fans (and players) are still moaning about changing our style, The league winning style had been sussed out, we had/have to change.

 

Ranieri and Puel made decisions for the future, to many others are living in the past.

[Hanan96]

Everybody have their own opinions, we aren't play a simulator game where we can directly compare things at exactly same condition. So we can only put our opinion there. Got no problem with those saying Pearson will won us league or not, wheter ranieri need him or not. 

 

I personally things, with the circumstances around title win season, we will do well with Pearson but not win. 

 

He will manage our team better for future but won't bring enough stability to win epl. The top 6 team demise will propel us either European cup or champions zone still. 

 

But the next season I'm sure, under Pearson, we will brought better suited player rather than some random plans. Ranieri did what is sensible. Hole at fullback? Put defensive minded ones there. Midfield outnumbered? Put energetic men in the middle of the pitch and defensive minded striker to help. 

In 2nd season we play in multiple competition, we need depth. We also facing the prospect of opposition drop deep against us. Ranieri tried to bring slimani, howewer this will reduce our midfielder links and energy there, considering we have only 2 in the centre. This is one example things I'm sure Pearson will do better 

 

If I have to choose, pearson without the title but better future or ranieri with one amazing season but difficult aftermath, I will still choose the latter tought. 

[Foxxed]

I normally enjoy Percy's writing but what a waste of an article.

[surrifox]

28 minutes ago, Foxxed said:

I normally enjoy Percy's writing but what a waste of an article.

JV is revealed as being quite happy to disclose stuff to a journalist known to be the best source of insider knowledge on the club 

[Finnegan]

51 minutes ago, Foxxed said:

I normally enjoy Percy's writing but what a waste of an article.

 

Yeah I'm not amused by it really, needless drama and shit stirring over stuff that should just be left now. 

 

 

[yorkie1999]

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, springs to mind.

[MC Prussian]

"Sources at Leicester". Protect your sources, I get that.

 

But to come out with that stuff (again) two years later, to rehash an old story, is a bit bland.

 

Probably wasn't in the most creative of moods when he wrote that filler.

Edited 5 December 2018 by MC Prussian

[Guest MattP]

Not getting into the argument but it's quite simple;

 

We wouldn't have won the league without Ranieri.

We wouldn't have been in the position to win the league without Pearson.

 

I'm am slightly concerned about that comment of Claudio's behaviour though on his return as I don't imagine him to be a person who would stoop to that, either he's holding a serious grudge that is no longer necessary or someone in our club is doing some serious shit stirring to darken his name. Whoever is causing that needs to stop immediately. 

[mancunianfox]

6 hours ago, The whole world smiles said:

Couldn't disagree more. We played a 3 5 2 for the winning run of the great escape season Claudio instantly changed it to a deep lying Italian 4 4 2. He sold Nugent (who Pearson played every week), benched ulloa and made vardy and okazaki the main men. He showed faith in Drinkwater and Albrighton who had limited opportunitys the season before. 

He also sent Pearson fave De Laet on loan and brought in Simpson who had pretty much been frozen out under pearson.

 

Now you may have not liked ranieri for whatever reason. You may feel that he was fortunate with the players and level of expectation he inherited (probably fair). But to try and re-write history and deny he had any contribution is just plain wrong on a factual level. His tactics, expectation management and experience were absolutely vital in winning the league.

 

Let not forget just months before Pearson was telling Leicester fans to fook of and die, strangling palace players, and calling reporters ostriches. If you think he would have took the mass media frenzy the accompanied our title run in his stride (if he could have even got us close to that stage) you are again sadly mistaken. 

Best post I have read on here in some time. It is sad that it ended the way it did but it still doesn't overshadow his first season. It amazes me that supporters continue to undersell how monumental that season was.

[sheffield_fox]

Percy's account of the second season seems to be exactly how most of us perceived it at the time. Sadly Claudio needed to go ASAP as a result. HOWEVER...

 

Anyone trying to suggest that Claudio wasn't absolutely instrumental to the title win is kidding themselves.

 

He's an absolute legend in my book and will always hold a dear place in my heart.

[volpeazzurro]

7 hours ago, UpTheLeagueFox said:

I'm a massive fan of what Pearson did for us, constantly moving us forward and assembling the building blocks for future success.

However, I maintain he wasn't astute enough to win us the league himself, it needed a different vision, one which Ranieri could offer.

So while we wouldn't have won the league with him, we wouldn't have won it without his earlier input.

Some people are the right manager at the right time. Pearson was and then Ranieri was.

I strongly doubt Ranieri could've done what Pearson did and vice versa.

And what matters is that both did pretty much the right thing at the right time and we enjoyed the fruits of that.

Let's be glad we had both.

The end.

Totally agree. It would be totally nieve to believe Ranieri just stuck with Pearsons team and tactics and we won the league. If people can't see the many changes he made they can't be looking very hard. That's not to say things didn't change and that the eventual outcome was wrong. 

[RoboFox]

How some on here continue to try to derail threads into being Pearson vs. Ranieri borefests every time either one of them is even mentioned, completely baffles me. 

 

It's been discussed ad nauseam.

 

pLeaSE jUSt sTaHP.

 

Edited 5 December 2018 by RoboFox

[Out Foxed]

3 hours ago, surrifox said:

JV is revealed as being quite happy to disclose stuff to a journalist known to be the best source of insider knowledge on the club 

pretty sure Vardy has said those comments in interviews or a book mate. he's not belled up John Percy for this article, ya loon. 

[surrifox]

4 minutes ago, Out Foxed said:

pretty sure Vardy has said those comments in interviews or a book mate. he's not belled up John Percy for this article, ya loon. 

Pretty sure they weren’t in his book , pretty sure Percy approached him with questions and JV was happy to provide an insight . No one is suggesting JV called Percy 

[Dickov22]

2 hours ago, MattP said:

Not getting into the argument but it's quite simple;

 

We wouldn't have won the league without Ranieri.

We wouldn't have been in the position to win the league without Pearson.

 

I'm am slightly concerned about that comment of Claudio's behaviour though on his return as I don't imagine him to be a person who would stoop to that, either he's holding a serious grudge that is no longer necessary or someone in our club is doing some serious shit stirring to darken his name. Whoever is causing that needs to stop immediately. 

 

Just like he behaved when Birch nearly died. Pearson immediately got a train down to the hospital from Sheffield to see him. Ranieri didn’t visit at all. Aloof. 

[ftfagos]

Think John Percy has a great future as a royal correspondent.