Ranieri tells stars to do a Van Gogh and let desperation inspire them

CLAUDIO RANIERI has urged his ‘desperate’ Leicester side to follow artist Vincent van Gogh - but will stop short of cutting his ear off for three points at Stoke today.

Leicester have struggled to defend their Premier League title, mainly because of their wretched away form – they have collected just one point out of 24.

Last season Leicester boasted the best away record in the top flight with 39 of their 81 points coming on the road.

But Ranieri, 65, drew a colourful analogy when describing how his team need to address their plight.

The Italian pointed to the tragic Dutch genius Van Gogh, who produced his finest work in the last two years of his life – despite severing his left ear – before committing suicide at the age of 37 in 1890.

“The best masterpieces are made when the artist is desperate, like Van Gogh,” said the Italian.

“Sometimes artists produce their best masterpieces when they are under pressure.”

The season before last, Leicester produced a Houdinistyle escape act to stay up, winning seven of their last nine games after being bottom of the table and seven points adrift of safety.

Ranieri wants to see the same urgency now.

“Two years ago Leicester had a fantastic finale to the season because we were desperate,” he added. “Now we have to be desperate in every second of every match.” Ranieri insists his players have no hang-ups about playing away but admits concentration levels must improve if they are to claw their way out of a relegation fight.

“I think it’s not a case of playing away or at home; in every sport and every job you are not always the same,” he said. “Sometimes you think ‘oh, today I have not started very well.’ You must accept this.

“You have to continue to work. But the concentration is very important. “We work well during training but now we must concentrate a little more in matches – away from home as well as at home.

“We can’t continue in this way – eight matches and only one point. That is not enough.

“We are eighth in the table for home form and bottom for away so we have to change it.”

Leicester have lost three of their last four games and been defeated in four of their last six in the Premier League – a far cry from their champagne football last term. “I have forgotten about last season,” said Ranieri. “I didn’t enjoy it too much! OK we won the title but that is in the past.

“I prefer to look forward. Winning the title is in the past. So too is our last game against Bournemouth. It’s all about today.”

Kasper Schmeichel (left) is set to replace RonRobert Zieler in goal for Leicester after missing the last eight games with a broken hand.

The Foxes have conceded 17 goals in his absence as opposed to two in the previous eight in which he played.

Ranieri compared how Leicester have coped in the great Dane’s absence to a broken watch, missing a part.

“When we lose players who are used to playing, it’s like losing something on a watch and it stops working,” he said.

“You change something little and the watch doesn’t show the same time.

“But we are together, we fight together, and we will resolve this together.”

Danny Drinkwater (below), who has missed the last two games, could also figure.