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Ranieri is yet to bring about defensive improvement in fledgling Fulham reign
Claudio Ranieri did a fine job of improving Leicester’s defensive record part way through the 2015/16 season which of course ended with them lifting the Premier League title in stunning fashion.
He took a frighteningly open Foxes side and made them exceptionally hard to beat and he will need to show similar skills as he seeks to guide Fulham away from the Premier League relegation zone.
He has altered the Cottagers’ approach in his first two games in charge; redeploying Calum Chambers as a defensive midfield player, switching to 4-2-3-1 and going more direct to Aleksandar Mitrovic.
Three points from those two matches is a reasonable return – especially as the Whites have travelled to face Chelsea – but the defensive issues that Slavisa Jokanovic was unable to rectify still remain.
Fulham have conceded four goals in Ranieri’s first two matches and the Italian must tighten his new side up at the back if they are to clamber out of trouble.
He is using a more stable defensive unit – there was only one injury enforced change between his first and second match – which he will hope can bring improvements over time.
But making Fulham’s less pleasing on the eye and dangerous while still leaking twice a game is not a formula for success. It’s very early days, but Ranieri’s new manager bounce has not had an impact on his defence yet.