When Claudio Ranieri returned to English football with Leicester City in the summer, he did so as the so-called Tinkerman whose ways at Chelsea invited scepticism and the accusation that he cost the club a place in a Champions League final.
The Italian was ridiculed when his team changes backfired spectacularly against ten-man Monaco in the 2004 European semi-final.
This season, by contrast, his interventions are becoming increasingly integral to Leicester’s progress at the top of the table, gaining the club an extra four points in the past week alone .
Leonardo Ulloa’s winning goal after coming on against Norwich City — which led to Ranieri ordering a round of drinks for everyone at a Melton Mowbray pub — was followed on Saturday by the introduction of pace, energy and tenacity to reclaim the midfield after his side struggled during the first half against Watford at Vicarage Road.
“I earn [my] money for these decisions,” Ranieri said. “Without players you cannot do anything. They play how I want. And without a little luck, nothing is possible.”
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Almost immediately after his arrival at the club, Ranieri ditched the wing-back system that carried Leicester to survival under Nigel Pearson, switching to a more conventional shape. Riyad Mahrez moved wide, where Ranieri’s feeling that he was best suited has been borne out by him being a contender for player of the season, and there were further tinkers and tweaks at full back to shore things up after a 5-2 home collapse against Arsenal in September.
Being incisive, whether in altering tactics or in front of goal, has been the theme of Ranieri’s season. His changes at the interval, or pretty soon after, also helped to earn Leicester four points when they were 2-0 down against Aston Villa and Southampton in autumn. “Our boss is the team,” he said. “They know I believe in everyone but I have to choose someone. Marc Albrighton and Shinji Okazaki were playing well [against Watford] but I had to change something.”
In bringing on Jeffrey Schlupp and Andy King, Leicester were prevented from being overrun in midfield and they reaped the benefits when Mahrez swept in a delicious winner.
Ranieri, in hindsight, also appears to have made the right call having handed his players a week off after a last-gasp defeat by Arsenal last month. Many sought sunshine in Dubai while he relaxed in Rome but no one took it as a jolly especially when they were given monitors to measure heart rate and work rate while away. “There are two kinds of training sessions, one with us and one when you are alone,” he said. “Now there is a big chance. It is a strange Premier League. We are building the mentality, the team, everything. It is not to be nervous about whether we can win the Premier League. We have to fight and get the winner’s mentality. It is a good energy [from other people] that is pushing us.”
After Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal drew earlier in the day, Leicester were fighting that bit harder and anticipating that one moment of class could turn the game, such as Mahrez shuffling to make a little space and hitting a beautiful shot that arced into the top corner.
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Mahrez hit a similar beauty against Manchester City last month and seems to be involved in a mini-contest for goal and player of the season with Jamie Vardy, his team-mate.
Ranieri has a nickname for Vardy that his striker says he is forbidden from revealing. “It is just banter and he is more than happy to dish the banter back,” Vardy said. “He just likes a little laugh and joke. As long as we are fighting for each other and playing well he is more than happy.
“No one gave us a chance at the start of the season. Everyone said we were relegation fodder. It was every newspaper and every pundit, wasn’t it? We’ve been on a good ride and we’re just going to keep enjoying it.”
Spurs can trim Leicester’s five-point advantage away to Aston Villa on Sunday, the day before Newcastle United’s visit to Leicester.
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Vardy played Call Of Duty on his PlayStation on Wednesday rather than tune in to see Arsenal and Tottenham lose to Swansea City and West Ham United respectively and fail to take advantage of Leicester’s draw with West Bromwich Albion the night before.
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Watford’s goals have dried up and Odion Ighalo mistimed his header with the best chance to level. They play an FA Cup quarter-final on Sunday against Hull or Arsenal. “We have to change the mentality in the cup as it is one match,” Quique Flores, the Watford head coach, said.