A Lesson in Management from Claudio Ranieri

Leicester are the story of the season across all of Europe, is it a fairytale or something more?

When Leicester opened their season against Sunderland on the 8th August with a 4-2 thrashing no-one could really have believed that six months later this team would be sitting on top of the Premier League. Yes they looked mightily impressive on their first day, showing energy, guile and scintillating transitions, but this was Leicester, the team who just about stayed up last season after a miracle survival run at the end. And yet throughout the season this club have continued to prove their doubters wrong. It’s unquestionably the best story in Europe. So what’s been the key? Well it’s simple really, it’s come from great coaching, management and recruitment.

When I made my predictions regarding which sides would get relegated I plumped for all three of the newly promoted sides, my feeling that they just wouldn’t have enough quality and nous to deal with the demands of the Premier League. Impressively we’ve seen coaches who have the tactical understanding, and bravery, to approach their challenge with zeal and at this time none of those three are in the relegation zone. When I put out that prediction I was asked “Not Leicester?”, to which I replied “No, they’ll be fine”. Little did I think this meant leading the Premier League in February. 

I was confident that under Ranieri Leicester had a very good club coach whose reputation had been somewhat tainted for his most recent experience (failure) with Greece. And with his reputation being something of a serial runner up. He's never won a top flight league in 30 years of management. He has won cup trophies at Valencia and Fiorentina and his time with Chelsea, especially his final season, was very impressive. At Roma he would be pipped to the title and cup by Mourinho's Inter. It's fair to say he has had a mixed time in management since then; Inter didn't work for him and he didn't last a season, at Monaco he won promotion to Ligue 1 and then came 2nd with 80 points before being sacked. And yes while his time as manager of Greece was shocking, it is somewhat unfair to lay criticism at Ranieri for his accomplishments as a club manager. 

Perhaps after these recent 'failings' he wasn't really seen as an appealing choice for the top clubs. To say it was a surprise that Leicester were able to convince him to come says something about where Ranieri was as much as what Leicester's ambitions were. We've seen coaches like Sven Goran Eriksson do this kind of thing and fail poorly. Perhaps the only issue which Ranieri may have encountered with Leicester was that his expectations and experiences as a manager, which have been with sides looking to compete for top honours, may make this experience more difficult. 

Would Leicester prove a difficult move for him, perhaps finding it frustrating to be a mid/lower table side? On paper a top 10 finish seemed really the best Ranieri could really have hoped for. And yet he has surpassed all expectations and taken Leicester on a fantastic ride, one which doesn’t seem to have an end in sight!

A lesson in real coaching - enhancing the talents at your disposal 

Had Nigel Pearson been kept on this season Leicester would not be in this position with him. I'm pretty sure about that. Pearson was a cautious coach, who approached games with fear for the  most part. Results highlighted this. Ranieri however is different. He's brought a mindset to the club where they are fearless in their approach. There's a mindset of going into games with confidence and belief, of freedom to express (yet within the tactical structure Ranieri wants). This change in mindset has been the key to Leicester's season.

The owners were criticised by some for deciding to relieve Pearson as manager, believing it was harsh after what he had achieved at the end. But owners have expectations and ambitions, which often times can cause more problems than bring success, however they decided they wanted a better, more experienced coach to take the club forward. Ranieri ticked the boxes and he has achieved more than could have been hoped.

What is clear about Ranieri is that he has sought to embrace the key traits of hard work, intensity and cohesion within the team. Three aspects which have been proven to work across all sports and business. These are key pillars on which teams succeed. Now, the challenge of a coach is to keep these pillars working throughout a season. That is the hard part, and one which managers struggle to achieve.  

He believes that is the spirit which has brought such a successful season, as he says, “I have a very good team, and a very good team spirit; they are friendly with each and they help each other. I have managed a lot of top teams and there were a lot of great players. Maybe here there aren’t those great players but there is a team with great spirit. And I believe there are great players inside them, which nobody saw before. To do this is ok for one, two three matches not for six months.”

It is this which points to the the brilliance of Ranieri. A brilliance which perhaps needed a club like Leicester, a somewhat unfashionable team, certainly underdogs, but one which would be a true test of his managerial and coaching credentials, in order to show people that he wasn't a fool, but in fact a very talented and intelligent coach.

He has embraced the culture of the club and looked to embrace the talents at his disposal. He hasn’t come in and said “this is how I play so we must do it like this”, he has looked at what he has and brought out the best in it. That is coaching. 

He has got into the minds of the players, made average players feel like they are great and they have thrived and excelled from his belief and messages. The best coaches are those who push their players on to greater levels than perhaps even the players thought possible. Ranieri is doing that. 

Now what’s important to note here is that often these type of players make huge strides forward, often because of the love from the coach, the feeling of importance their coach gives them and the fact their own individual talents are utilised to bring out the best in them. This is a warning however for those potential suitors, there is a reason these players are performing, make sure you know what that is and how it was unlocked! Too often players seemingly go backwards when they make the 'big' move, some accuse them of being unable to perform at a big club, some think they've got their money so their sorted, I think it’s more about what they lack now compared to where they excelled. 

Ranieri is enhancing the talent, performance and sales price of this team of players. Players who one can be forgiven for referring to as “Championship level” players like Wes Morgan now looks a rock of a defender, Danny Drinkwater looks to be an excellent midfielder and Marc Albrighton looks like one of the best crossers of a ball in the league. The addition of Robert Huth has brought in a top defender yet also a mature leader with experience of success. Kasper Schmeichel is one who knows what a true champion is and what it requires from seeing his father achieve so much at United. And he has certainly benefitted greatly from moving to Leicester and playing regularly  He is now looking like one of the best in the league. 

And then there's Jamie Vardy, a player who certainly showed flashes that he could succeed in the Premier League last season, yet who has become one of the best forwards in Europe this season. This has been built on the feeling of importance Ranieri has given him this season. That sense of being the leading man of the team, something which he has taken on and embraced fully and is thriving on. Vardy has been sensational to be honest. He possesses speed, technical ability and a very strong intelligence to his game which often gets overlooked. His movement is just fantastic. Perhaps something which in the present game where forwards come deep to join in the build up it is a skill which has been somewhat lost or neglected, yet Vardy’s ability to run behind, know when to go, it is just fantastic. And his record of 18 goals and 3 assists really is a superb return on a player who cost £1 million and who had to go through the non-league route to get where he is now. Goes to show what putting your faith in a player can do. And this personifies Leicester’s approach to be honest.

Get your recruitment right and your coaching becomes much easier

When you look at a Jamie Vardy, someone who had been talked about for sometime coming up through the leagues, you start to see a trend emerging with Leicester. One of excellent recruitment at fantastic value. Vardy cost a £1 million, which seemed steep at the time yet now which seems a bargain. And what about that man Mahrez? Bought from the French 2nd division for £400k? He showed flashes last season yet has just gone to a whole new level this time. Ranieri deserves the credit for that. Yet the key man in this is Steve Walsh, the clubs head of recruitment. 

Ranieri didn’t see the need to change the backroom for a reason, overall the plan and structure at the club was working. This club is structured very well, from the first team to the Academy. Ranieri was needed to add more top level experience and perhaps offer a new way to do things to improve the club and move it forwards. First team coach Craig Shakespeare has been a big part of Ranieri’s team this year. And in Steve Walsh he has proved his talent in his role.

This season the recruitment and coaching have been a perfect fit. Walsh persuaded Ranieri that a young lad playing for Ligue 1 Caen would be a perfect addition to the side. Signed for £5m N’Golo Kante has been a revelation. And why? Because the statistics said so. Leicester are heavily into analytics and Kante’s numbers in terms of “ball recoveries” were very impressive. Kante made more ball recoveries than anyone in Europe’s top five leagues last season, and he has taken this into his time at Leicester. Although Gokhan Inler was bought as something of Esteban Cambiasso’s replacement, seen certainly as the clubs marquee addition in the summer, in fact it is the pairing of Kante and Drinkwater which has set the tone for the side this season.

The stats show that Kante focuses on breaking up play and the stats show that when Kante makes the first pass in a move, often a counter attack, Leicester score 60% more than when he is not involved. This highlights how important his contribution is to the team, both their defending and attacking. 

When you look too at Kante’s box-to-box partner, in Danny Drinkwater, this is the player who gets on to the ball more than anyone else in the side (approx. 53 passes per match) and is the man who looks to link the midfield and forward play together. It is a partnership, like Huth and Morgan, like Mahrez and Vardy, which is proving very fruitful. And in the world of one forward systems and three man midfields, these two man relationships are working perfectly for Leciester.

The additions of Huth, Kante, left back Christian Fuchs, the Austria captain and Mainz’s forward Shinji Okazaki, a player whose energy personifies what Ranieri is seeking and achieving with in their high energy offence and aggressive counter-pressing approach and you see excellent recruitment, at good relative value with massive returns. 

A tactical masterclass, using the team to their strengths

Tactically what Ranieri has sought to achieve with this team. The stats indicate this best; passing accuracy is the worst in the league, percentage of long passes is one of the highest, amount of long balls a match is one of the highest, and short passes one of the lowest. And their 46% possession average sits around 18th in the league. That doesn't sound very good when you hear it like that. It sounds like a relegation bound side. And yet they are near the top of the list with the most passes in the attacking third, surely a key requisite for creating and scoring goals? 

But this season in the Premier League has appeared markedly different to years before. We are seeing, quite regularly sides winning games with possession in the 30-40%. It is not something we are used to. Yet it is clear that sides are more inclined to defend with a mid/deep block, be very organized and disciplined and look to counter or use set pieces. Especially when they go 1-0 up they appear much better at keeping sides out. And they are doing this without the ball. 

So while it seems strange to see a side at the top of the league who doesn’t want to keep possession, we are seeing a team who are maximising their strengths and benefitting from it. Simply put this is a team who are utilising what they have in terms of their attributes, and to be honest, not getting bogged down with thoughts of building up the play and playing 'nice' football. We are seeing how damaging this is for a side like Everton and how frustrated the fans are getting. Leicester is opposite, in terms of style and the fans. The whole club is electric right now and the fans are bringing an atmosphere of positivity which is simply breeding further energy. 

Ranieri has found a style which not only helps create goals for his team, but which makes his team hard to break down. This is no fluke. Ranieri is working tirelessly every session on getting his side ready for games, getting the strategy and tactics ingrained. And while at the start of the season Leicester did look susceptible to conceding, yet were scoring more than the opposition, in recent weeks they now look more solid as a defensive unit. They are now playing even better, while still maintaining their ability to score goals. 

Now this style of play; a more direct approach, focusing mostly on quick counter attacks and getting the ball into the final third quickly reminds me a lot of Atletico under Simeone and Dortmund under Klopp. Football which doesn't look ‘modern’ and ‘fancy’, in fact more like a style of football more akin to the old fashioned ways. And it's working.

Perhaps the comparison to Atlei is most apt. A strong defensive foundation (4-4-2) and strategy to be compact and organized, with speed on the counter and a ruthless ability to score goals, while utilising an effectiveness from set pieces. All key traits which Simeone has brought to Atletico. 

In regards to Dortmund, at their best they had Gotze, Lewandowski, Kuba and Gundogan, Leciester have Vardy, Mahrez, Albrighton and Kante. It sounds crazy to compare the two but why? Leicester are performing consistently, are in fact getting even better as the season is progressing, and like Klopp did with Dortmund, taking an under-achieving club and making them winners, Ranieri (granted in a shorter space of time) is looking like he is building a very impressive machine similar to what Klopp did. 

It’s clear that Ranieri has brought some game management and a little bit of tactical nous to their play. The players know their jobs and importantly execute them almost perfectly. What we are seeing is a group of players working very hard for each other to achieve something greater than themselves. This is what a team looks like, and often what a winning team does in order to win.

And while the club can be commended for how well it is structured the praise must go to Ranieir. He has shown he is an excellent manager, coach and tactician and above all, a great motivator and leader. How he embraces the talents at his disposal, he motivates them and most importantly and impressive, how he has remained consistent, focused and calm while the plaudits and pressure mount. He comes across assured yet determined, and this character rubs off on players (think Kevin Keegan, or Rafa Benitez). And while a league title may allude Raneiri once again, there is no doubt that what he has done this season is a true success of his talents as a coach.

And let’s not miss out the fact that Leciester’s success so far has come mainly because of their ability to keep their best players on the pitch for most of the games. Injuries have been minimal, so the sports science and medical team, working with the coaches, are doing a fantastic job, especially when you compare it to the injury issues at the top clubs. No European competition and thus the travel demands this puts on players has helped. Which also helps for extra training for tactical as well as fitness/pre-habilitation. However there’s no doubt that Leicester are all working together and the holistic development of the players and the club is working in harmony. The proof is on the pitch.

A great story - a tale of great club management 

The story of Leicester this season has been quite wonderful to witness. One can argue that the ‘best’ sides have underperformed yet the truth is that the ‘lesser’ clubs are better, more confident and more quality than they have been before. Leicester lead the league for a reason, and it is deserved. You don’t go this long into the season without being there for a reason. 

All the history says that the team top at the end of January wins the league. I’m still not completely sold that this team can actually do it, but I really hope they do. The next two games versus Man City and Arsenal, both away, will be real tests. Yet they keep knocking each test down everytime. At this stage City and Arsenal will be worried about Leicester more than the other way round. Because both of these sides enjoy the ball, they play into Leicester’s hands. If they get throught these games with some points out of it, then who knows they could really do it.

This blog is in admiration for what Leicester are doing. This is a club who has a team of people across departments getting it right and working together to make it a success. This is more than just a story of coaching. When you compare the club to it's Midland rivals Aston Villa you see what mismanagement can bring to a club. 

Ranieri promised this style when he took over; when he took the job he made a promise to the supporters, "Our fans can expect our players to fight. I spoke with the players and told them I want all my players to be fighters. We must play every game like it’s the last match of the season. That’s important because with motivation you can do something good."

And fighting they are. They have won the hearts and minds of fans across England this season and with the interest in the Premier League so global, I would imagine the world too. Many are now hoping they can continue this and fight their way to become Champions. This blog hopes they will. What will next season, that's a conversation for another day.

The Whitehouse Address @The_W_Address