Ranieri shrugs off relegation talk
CLAUDIO RANIERI insists Leicester City are not in crisis and remains confident his players will fight their way out of relegation trouble after receiving a vote of confidence from the club.
A miserable run of results has left the champions facing a relegation battle, with Ranieri’s future coming under increasing scrutiny.
Reports also surfaced recently that Ranieri has been losing his grip on the dressing room after confusing players with tactics and team selection.
In response, the club’s Thai owners issued a statement yesterday afternoon pledging their “unwavering support” for manager Ranieri.
The Italian, whose team are just one point above the drop zone after Sunday’s 3-0 home defeat to Manchester United, says the public backing was more for the benefit of the media and supporters rather than for him and insists he maintains a “fantastic relationship” with his players as he called for some perspective.
“It is not a crisis – you win three matches you are God, you lose three matches you aren’t God,” said Ranieri.
“It is normal. In all of football and sport this is the same, it’s okay.
“For me it is important to try to find the right solution for my players and I have all the confidence of the club with me.”
Leicester are in danger of becoming the first defending champions since Manchester City in 1938 to be relegated.
They have a crucial fixture at the weekend when they travel to Swansea, the team directly below them in the table, but more immediately the strugglers face Championship promotion hopefuls Derby in an FA Cup replay tonight.