Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri is attempting to play some serious mind games on Arsenal
Don’t let Claudio Ranieri’s pleasant grin and affable way of speaking fool you: he’s every bit as cunning as any Premier League manager. That’s why he has the mind games on full blast in advance of Sunday’s tilt with Arsenal.
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Rainier’s pre-match press conference comments were riddled with references to the potential pressure on his side as they try to complete their fairy tale march towards a Premier League title. As much as most people think it will be the Foxes who feel the heat, their boss actually says his opponents will be under more pressure.
I firmly believe that despite Ranieri saying that, he knows that his team will inevitably feel significant pressure as the season wears on. Why then does “the tinkerer” say otherwise?
Simple, his entire goal is to distract the media from focusing their attention on his squad. The more attention he can soak up, the less questions his impressionable players have to face. It’s quite the gambit by the manager of the Premier League leaders.
In truth, Ranieri has been running this little scam all season. First, he insisted on focusing on his side’s drive to achieve 40 points to avoid relegation despite their survival being a foregone conclusion. He wasn’t afraid to seem silly in the media as long as it furthered his own team’s interests. That serves to endear him to his players while also allowing them to play with as little pressure as possible.
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His strategy to shield his players from the spotlight has continued in advance of their much anticipated match-up with Arsenal this weekend. While Ranieri can no longer pretend he is unaware of his team’s chance to win a title, he still pushes focus onto their rivals. It’s really a brilliant public relations ploy on behalf of the Leicester boss.
While it has a great deal of benefit to his own club, it also does negatively influence their competitors. As much as Arsenal players will claim they don’t read what he says in the press, they can’t hide from his comments in advance of the big match. Any Gunner who claims not to know what Ranieri says leading up to the match is a liar.
When they hear him go on about how they will feel the pressure because of the money their club has spent on them, they can’t help but hear some truth ring throughout his words. His words hit home just a little bit with Leicester’s opponents, because they carry truth with them. If his words make Arsenal’s stars even a touch more tight, then he’s done everything he can for his squad.
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Claudio Ranieri may look the part of your beloved grandfather, but don’t let his pleasant way of speaking fool you. The Leicester boss is every bit as competitive and conniving as the rest of his Premier League competitors. This Sunday, we’ll find out if his mind games pay off with a huge win for the Foxes.