Well done Ranieri.. Many of us doubted u during the tough times, but it appears u have a trick or two that we did not know about ..
Keep up the good work.
Keep up the good work.
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Claudio Ranieri (28 Viewers)
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Ranieri hails Alex the Great
Claudio Ranieri has hailed Alex Del Piero as “a true captain” after the Juventus star earned a standing ovation in Madrid.
“Winning 2-0 at the Bernabeu is nothing to be sniffed at. We have returned to our best over the past 15 days and the first leg victory gave us back the self-confidence we had lost,” said the Coach at the end of a 2-0 victory over Real.
“I was very happy with my lads as they did what I asked, keeping the defence very high and therefore pressuring Madrid in midfield.
“When you play against a star-studded side that always pushes forward and leaves just one defensive midfielder, then the counter-attack can hurt them. If we just sat back and let them come at us, they would inevitably find a way through, but if we kept hitting them chance for chance then we would get the win.”
Del Piero scored the opener when Juve beat Real Madrid 2-1 in Turin and netted both goals tonight at the Bernabeu, earning a standing ovation from local fans.
“The Spanish fans are fantastic and when they see a champion - and Alex didn't just score the two goals, he sacrificed himself for the team - they appreciate it.
“Del Piero took the team on to his shoulders and carried them forward. He was fantastic tonight and is really taking on the role of the captain.”
Ranieri was facing the axe and a media campaign calling for his head only a fortnight ago, but since then he has won five on the trot.
“The usual suspects will start insulting me again the moment we are defeated! Don't worry about that.”
Tiago Mendes was given the chance to start in midfield and impressed again after his disastrous first campaign.
“Tiago is a marvellous player who struggled last season under the pressure of his price-tag and the change of tactics, as he was accustomed to a three-man midfield. He got a bit lost along the way, but he has played three great games in a row and everyone can see he is talented. We're keeping hold of him.”
The five straight wins are all the more amazing considering they were achieved in the middle of an injury crisis ruling out Gigi Buffon, David Trezeguet, Cristiano Zanetti, Christian Poulsen, Zdenek Grygera and Hasan Salihamidzic.
“It is true that a team can only gel by playing together regularly. I didn't change at the start of the season because I felt like it, I had absolutely no choice in the matter!
“We're in an emergency situation, but it is wonderful to see how every player works for the team and these are the results.”
I thought JCK was joking when he posted this...
Claudio Ranieri has hailed Alex Del Piero as “a true captain” after the Juventus star earned a standing ovation in Madrid.
“Winning 2-0 at the Bernabeu is nothing to be sniffed at. We have returned to our best over the past 15 days and the first leg victory gave us back the self-confidence we had lost,” said the Coach at the end of a 2-0 victory over Real.
“I was very happy with my lads as they did what I asked, keeping the defence very high and therefore pressuring Madrid in midfield.
“When you play against a star-studded side that always pushes forward and leaves just one defensive midfielder, then the counter-attack can hurt them. If we just sat back and let them come at us, they would inevitably find a way through, but if we kept hitting them chance for chance then we would get the win.”
Del Piero scored the opener when Juve beat Real Madrid 2-1 in Turin and netted both goals tonight at the Bernabeu, earning a standing ovation from local fans.
“The Spanish fans are fantastic and when they see a champion - and Alex didn't just score the two goals, he sacrificed himself for the team - they appreciate it.
“Del Piero took the team on to his shoulders and carried them forward. He was fantastic tonight and is really taking on the role of the captain.”
Ranieri was facing the axe and a media campaign calling for his head only a fortnight ago, but since then he has won five on the trot.
“The usual suspects will start insulting me again the moment we are defeated! Don't worry about that.”
Tiago Mendes was given the chance to start in midfield and impressed again after his disastrous first campaign.
“Tiago is a marvellous player who struggled last season under the pressure of his price-tag and the change of tactics, as he was accustomed to a three-man midfield. He got a bit lost along the way, but he has played three great games in a row and everyone can see he is talented. We're keeping hold of him.”
The five straight wins are all the more amazing considering they were achieved in the middle of an injury crisis ruling out Gigi Buffon, David Trezeguet, Cristiano Zanetti, Christian Poulsen, Zdenek Grygera and Hasan Salihamidzic.
“It is true that a team can only gel by playing together regularly. I didn't change at the start of the season because I felt like it, I had absolutely no choice in the matter!
“We're in an emergency situation, but it is wonderful to see how every player works for the team and these are the results.”
I thought JCK was joking when he posted this...
@ Tiago is a marvelous player!
i never called for axing Ranieri until the DC for DP substitution happend... after that incident i completely lost it and criticized him whenever possible... but i'm glad that he has turned things around... and he has got almost all his calls right in the past few games... with the limited resources he has at his disposal, he's doing a great job... Respect for Ranieri...
One thing I admire in Ranieri and I hope it does not change is that he brought back the GROUP spirit.
During the Capello era we heared a few incidences of players not going a long well. Things that are not Juve type. This one of the things I hated about Capello. But now, you literally feel that they are all playing with one heart. I was afraid when he got Amauri that he'd be another Ibra being selfish and all. I am glad that I was wrong. The way the whole team is united is something really beautifull.. Its what Juve is known for.
During the Capello era we heared a few incidences of players not going a long well. Things that are not Juve type. This one of the things I hated about Capello. But now, you literally feel that they are all playing with one heart. I was afraid when he got Amauri that he'd be another Ibra being selfish and all. I am glad that I was wrong. The way the whole team is united is something really beautifull.. Its what Juve is known for.
