Andy Brassell: Leicester no laughing matter under Ranieri

Andy Brassell
18 August 2015

Many doubted Leicester's appointment of Claudio Ranieri, but The Foxes are in fine fettle under his guidance

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Leicester City are flying high in the Premier League, with Claudio Ranieri proving just how canny a club manager he is, says Andy Brassell in his latest look at best performer of the weekend...

"There are strong shades of Ranieri's Monaco side in this Leicester, with the employment of a narrow 4-4-2 seeing Riyad Mahrez creep into more central areas – very much like James Rodriguez at Stade Louis II"

Ok, so Manchester City's win over Chelsea on Sunday means Leicester City were pushed back into second place in the nascent Premier League table - for the second week in a row, in fact - but even if The Foxes don't back and forth with Manuel Pellegrini's side at the top every weekend, there are few complaints to be had at the King Power Stadium.

Once again, nobody saw Leicester's win at West Ham on Saturday coming. They keep on surprising, as they have done for several months now in the Premier League. It was a masterful away performance, based on making the most of opportunity (Leicester had more efforts on goal despite having just 30% of the possession) and being able soak up pressure when required.

What's come a particular shock to many people (not least Betfair's own Luke Moore) is that Leicester's growing clout in the division has continued apace since the exit of Nigel Pearson, and his replacement with Claudio Ranieri. The veteran Italian endured a rough old time at the helm of Greece's national team, but the relevance of this has been overcooked.

As our own Michael Lintorn pointed out a few weeks back, there is a world of difference between management at club and international level, and Leicester's early season form has underlined that, and then some.

Much as when he exited Chelsea in 2004, Ranieri's role in Monaco's success has been quickly swept into the dustbin of history - in this case after their impressive Champions League feats under his replacement Leonardo Jardim last season.

Let's make no bones about it, though. Ranieri did an absolutely fantastic job in the Principality. Bringing Monaco from Ligue 2 and turning them into a fluent top-flight side that edged towards being a credible challenger to Paris Saint-Germain was hugely impressive, even with significant financial backing.

There are strong shades of his Monaco side in this Leicester, actually, with the employment of a narrow 4-4-2 that sees the excellent Riyad Mahrez creep into more central areas with his winger's skills - very much like James Rodriguez was encouraged to do in Ranieri's spell at Stade Louis II, where he became the team's centrepiece.

Soon to be added to the midfield mix is Gökhan Inler, it seems. In theory, a player with extensive international and Champions League experience is a great get for Leicester, especially when they're trying to beef up a midfield now shorn of Esteban Cambiasso. The Switzerland captain has a great range of passing, short and long, to help a team control a game and to set the tempo.

In reality, Inler saw his game time vastly reduced under Rafael Benítez last season due to his declining form. It has been an issue for some time; when England comprehensively beat the Swiss in Basel in the Euro 2016 qualifier in Basel last September, his poor display saw his team flounder around him. He needs to recover his best to thrive.

If he does, then Leicester have something to build on. This result at West Ham - confident after that stunning win at Arsenal - is a significant step on from rolling over an already prone-looking Sunderland. They certainly look good enough to beat Tottenham at the King Power this Saturday, at 2.727/4.

Ranieri is nice as pie to the cameras but not to be trifled with behind the scenes, and he will be relishing every second of this unexpected second stab at the Premier League.

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