Fulham find a messiah in Claudio Ranieri
Why would someone like Claudio Ranieri take up a job at the Fulham Football Club, after achieving what he achieved with Leicester? What he did there was nothing short of a miracle, something that cannot be explained by natural or scientific laws. Why not just hang up the managerial boots at the age he’s at and be remembered as someone who made the impossible, possible?
Fulham beating Southampton yesterday sorted my churlish self out and gave me some of the answers, but most importantly a bit of perspective to mull over. He, perhaps, just knew that he and FFC are tailor-made for each other just the way Leicester were when he took them over. To watch him celebrate with a mild-smile and a customary round of applause on the touchline after the game was a thing to behold. Just brings back so many memories from his Leicester time.
Surely, it’s just not the man’s charm or pizzas’ or burgers this time, that get him and his players the wins. They can only do so much. He’s known as a ‘Tinkerman’ in the world of football with always chops and changes and for a reason, has that nickname.
The Italian said he has a plan to supervise the club to the Premier League safety and is the right appointment. And, he couldn’t have been more right as there were a significant improvement, both, tactically and personnel that just couldn’t have gone unnoticed. So, what changed yesterday that brought FFC only their second win all season so far and their first since August?
To begin with, Ranieri made sure that Ryan Sessegnon did not stray from the left-wing position and pushed higher up the pitch as much possible as he can. The 18-year old took the Championship by storm last season and was a key member in the clubs promotion via the playoffs. But, the kid hasn’t had the same success in the Premier League so far. That could be down to the old regime of Slav Jokanovic where he was required to play either the left-back or left-winger, based on what sort of opposition his team faced. Also, he would drift in a more central position more often than not resulting in compromising on his pace.
Ranieri changed that right away. Sessegnon, who until before Saturday, had one goal and one assist to his name bagged two assists against Southampton which took his tally to three. His assist for the second goal was a tacit suggestion as to why the boy was so highly rated by one and all. With a bit of luck and a stunning bit of skill, he waltzes passed two Southampton players and whipped a delicious cross in which took the back four out of the game entirely, leaving Andre Schurrle for an obligatory tap-in.
Sergio Rico, the goalkeeper, was another player who oozed confidence in the ever rare start for the club. It was his double save right in the beginning of the game, when it still was 0-0, gave a lot of impetus and could be said, was the springboard for the win. He also came up trumps in the dying minutes of the game when Southampton’s Pierre-Emile Højbjerg and Michael Obafemi forced him into action. Among the Ninety-Two clubs in English Football, Fulham are the only the club yet to keep a clean sheet. But, looks like with Rico between the sticks, that unwanted statistic will be fixed sooner rather than later.
The Italian must know that he has his plate full in terms of the team’s defensive fusibility and the forwards must do the job for him by outscoring until he sorts that out. Mitrovich and co. just did that on Saturday. The newly found confidence was all there to see, especially, with the way he scored his second goal which eventually turned out to be a winner. The Serbian came into the Saturday’s game without scoring for close to 600 minutes but showed what he is capable of when given the right service.
The credit must go to the manager and to some degree the clubs medical staff to have the captain, Tom Cairney, ready for this game after the injury. Claudio Ranieri made him play in a bit of an advanced role against Mark Hughes side. His pass to find Le Marchand for the first goal which Mitrovich finished reminded many of the Fulham supporters the Championship season last season. Chambers and Seri too were a tad better than they have been all season.
We are only a third passed this season and the manager has a job at hand, especially, in defence but he seems to have taken to Fulham like an ape to a tree. Having said that, the attack already looks more cohesive. There are a lot of tongue-in-cheek comments doing the rounds among the Fulham faithful as to how this is a start of making of Leicester, part two. It certainly may not be that but with the invoked sense of optimism, it most likely may not be relegation, either.