Mutiny at Leicester? There must be only one winner...
THE club statement was unequivocal. ‘in light of recent speculation, Leicester city would like to make absolutely clear its unwavering support for first-team manager, claudio ranieri.
‘While there is collective appreciation that form needs to improve, the unprecedented success achieved in recent seasons has been based firmly on stability, togetherness and determination. the entire club is and will remain united behind its manager . . . ’
Further down, the players got a mention, too. the club are behind them, as well, obviously. But if ranieri’s employers stay true to their word and he makes it through to the summer, player power may be about to meet its Waterloo in Leicester.
this is unlike last season’s mutiny at chelsea. Leicester’s players do not have the upper hand. elite clubs can be dominated by pockets of strong individuals, as chelsea have been. Leicester were stronger together. therefore, they can be replaced.
roman Abramovich is criticised for not taking a tougher stance in supporting his managers over the years. there remains the suspicion that Luiz Felipe scolari, Andre Villas-Boas and Jose Mourinho, second time around, have all been undermined at some time by the actions of individuals in the dressing room. Yet on each occasion it has been the manager who has departed, not the players.
certainly, last season, there was the feeling that key individuals in the squad saw off Mourinho by under-performing and the dramatic inconsistency between seasons undoubtedly suggests a problem. Yet as maddening as that must have been for Abramovich, what was he to do?
With the exception of Willian and cesar Azpilicueta, just about every player suffered a drop in form or application, and some outrageously so. But where could Abramovich go with that? replacing talent at the elite level is both difficult and expensive. if Lionel Messi started acting up at Barcelona, it is not as if they could just go out and buy another.
Let’s say Abramovich was so angry he wanted to dump three players at the end of last season: eden Hazard, Diego costa and cesc Fabregas. that’s £150m in expenditure, minimum, always providing the talent is out there. some could be recouped in sales, although chelsea would have to take a drop in fees.
they would basically be buying high, selling cheap — the opposite of their modern strategy. And who would they get? Who out there is better than Hazard, at the top of his game? it is easier, safer and cheaper to change the manager and hope the players respond to a fresh approach.
that is what Abramovich did by bringing in Antonio conte: he took the pragmatic route, switched one man, not five.
it is very different at Leicester. if this season’s form is the result of a fissure in the relationship between ranieri and his players, the group may be surprised at who comes out the winner. it is more straightforward finding a Leicester player than it is another coach with the smarts to win the league as ranieri did last year.
For some time there have been rumours that all is not well with the champions. At the weekend, an article written by the journalist who worked on Jamie Vardy’s autobiography — so we can presume is well-informed — claimed that the constant tactical and personnel changes this season were having an effect on team spirit.
ranieri, we learned, announced he was playing 3-4-3 at copenhagen in the champions League less than two hours before kick-off. His methods are leaving players confused.
Yesterday, another development. Players are upset because post-match meals of chicken burgers have been replaced by pasta. Obviously a delicate lot, maybe they would prefer to be managed by Gordon ramsay. Whatever the substance or origin of these stories, irrefutable evidence is before our eyes. Leicester have not won a league match in 2017, and have won just once in the league since beating Manchester city on December 10, falling to within a point of the relegation zone. in the circumstances, the FA cup is hardly a priority, but were
they to lose a
home replay against Championship Derby tonight, it would serve as further indication of their unravelling.
riyad mahrez, last season’s Professional Footballers’ association player of the year, is a shell of that talent; Vardy has three league goals since September 10 — all in the same match — while Danny Drinkwater’s influence is greatly reduced without n’Golo Kante by his side. Wes morgan (left) and robert Huth, arguably the most unlikely title-winning centrehalf pairing there has been, now appear cumbersome and vulnerable.
Throughout Leicester’s squad, there are players who cannot recapture last season’s form and while many thought a dip inevitable this season after such an exceptional year, few would have expected a fight against relegation. The greatest worry is that the players will shirk responsibility, and try to shift the blame on to ranieri. Then the owners have a straight choice.
The statement yesterday suggested they are not about to act on ranieri, short term. There is, of course, still time for panic if results do not pick up, and matches against Swansea and Hull in the next four weeks are likely to be crucial.
Yet if performances improve and Leicester survive to play next season in the Premier League, ranieri’s position appears far stronger than that of his players. maybe making that plain was the intention yesterday. It was an endorsement that also served as a warning.
ranieri does not need to find a replacement for Hazard, one of the best forwards in the world on his day, but for 33-yearold journeyman morgan at centre half. He is not detailed to change Costa, but Vardy, who at 30, has only enjoyed one truly great season as a goalscorer in a top division.
It would be near impossible to bring together a second team of champions as Leicester did previously, but that is not the aim of realistic owners. Survive this season and ranieri can begin rebuilding a decent Leicester side, one that can hold their own in the Premier League without feeling permanently under threat of relegation.
This is one occasion when backing a manager — FIFa’s coach of the year, no less — makes more sense than siding with the players. It will be easier to unearth more Leicester players than it ever will be to locate another ranieri.