Fresh face may strike the right note for Ranieri
CLAUDIO RANIERI is considering bringing in outside help to refocus his misfiring strikers.
The Leicester manager has been left baffled by the problems in front of goal that have left last season’s champions still searching for their first league goal of the new year. The FA Cup has provided some respite and Ranieri will hope today’s fifth-round visit to Millwall can result in a much-needed boost.
With the Champions League visit to Sevilla to come on Wednesday, Ranieri must decide whether to hand Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez the chance to break their personal droughts against the League One side.
But the manager is clear there is a major problem that must be addressed – and that may force him to look for a solution elsewhere.
“Maybe some people are scared about something,” said Ranieri.
“It’s important for me to see every detail. It could be I bring in outside help.
“For this reason I say ‘clear your mind’. We must be full of personality.
“Remember last season everything we did was right, now everything is wrong.
“But we are doing the same things, so how is that possible?
“For this reason it’s important the players reset everything and we restart in a positive way.
“It’s not important who scores, but it’s important for somebody to score.
“It’s very serious. We know this very well. For this reason we are more solid, more closer together. We need one good result to be a turning point – we have to stop this momentum. We have to find a solution.”
Millwall manager Neil Harris is eager to meet Ranieri but warned he is aiming to add the growing problems confronting the Italian.
The biggest Den crowd for 22 years will provide the most hostile of receptions to the Premier League strugglers.
Harris, who has already masterminded wins over two top-flight sides, Bournemouth and Watford, says victory over the champions would be his team’s biggest giant-killing of their cup run.
He said: “Claudio is a legend in world football, he has such an unbelievable personality and is a breath of fresh air in our game. I can’t wait to meet him.
“But City won’t relish coming here, we will feed off the fans.
“We don’t fear anybody, although I’m not brave enough to say we are the favourites.
“Nine out of 10 times the bigger club will get through, but there is always that one in 10 chance that favours us.
“We’ve done well at home recently and can play without any pressure.
“Of course we have no illusions about Leicester, they have some fantastic players.
“But we feel can win again because we can look after ourselves and have had a physical run lately with the knocks and bruises to show
for it.” Millwall have forced their way into the League One play-off places and Harris added: “Perhaps Bournemouth and Watford underestimated us by playing weakened sides, and I can understand why teams make changes. “But once again we will be up for it, whatever side they put out.”