Rafa’s done Italian job with Toon
FULHAM manager Claudio Ranieri insists that Newcastle’s Spanish boss Rafa Benitez is “more Italian than me”.
And he thinks his team’s visit to St James’ Park tomorrow could be a tight, tactical, Serie A-style battle.
That might suit Ranieri, whose Christmas list includes a first clean sheet of the season for his bottom-of-the-table team.
“He is a great manager and won a lot,” Ranieri said.
“He is very intelligent and tactically attentive and has created a good group. The team is intense, strong, tight.
“Rafa is more Italian than me. He is very attentive to the tactical movement of players.
“It will be tactical, it will be tough because they are very physical and the crowd push behind them.”
Benitez has led his Toon side out of the Premier League basement in recent weeks and Ranieri thinks that could inspire his Fulham players to do the same. “It looked that Newcastle were down two months ago but now are safe,” the Italian said.
“They are a good inspiration. Everything for us is important as inspiration to survive at the end.”
Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic returns to a ground where he struggled to live up to the great tradition of Tyneside centre-forwards.
But Ranieri thinks he knows why the Serb striker has come good at Craven Cottage after leaving Newcastle.
“Aleksandar in Newcastle didn’t do a very good job,” he admitted.
“When you play in other countries, you can touch the ball two or three times.
“In England, one touch is too much. You must play half a touch and the player coming in has to think about it.
“You try to transmit this but only experience [can do it] and maybe you need six months or one year to understand this.
“I don’t know if they will give him a warm welcome but I hope he makes a good match.” TOON RETURN: Mitrovic