Ranieri the architect, not the builder?
There is a real danger that history will repeat itself for a third time for Claudio Ranieri.
The Juventus manager was the building block of two different teams in two different countries, only to fail to stick around long enough to see his work come to fruition.
At Valencia between 1997 and 1999, he signed goalkeeper Santiago Canizares and Argentinian forward Claudio Lopez, and promoted youth-team and fringe players Gaizka Mendieta, Javier Farinos, Miguel Angel Angulo and David Albelda to the first-team.
All played a part in the growth of the Mestalla club to two Champions League finals under Hector Cuper.
At Chelsea, he is still revered for his work in taking the West London club to the Champions League semi-final for the first time, and for his role in signing the players that helped win two Premier League trophies, an FA Cup, a League Cup and a Community Shield under Jose Mourinho.
Yet, Ranieri was mocked and vilified by the English media as ‘The Tinkerman’, the amiable idiot savant with the mangled English who lucked his way to the top tier of management thanks to the concurrent chequebook provided by owner Roman Abramovich.
The incident that did it for the press was his tactical naivety in the Champions League semi-final first leg in April 2004 against Monaco in the Stade Louis II.
With 37 minutes left, and the score 1-1, Monaco had Andreas Zikos sent off. Ranieri went for it like a drunk Las Vegas gambler.
He brought on Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink to make it three up front. Melchiot was replaced at right-back by first a midfielder, Scott Parker, and then a centre-back, Robert Huth.
It all went wrong, Monaco won 3-1, and the Blues failed to qualify for the final.
The fans were kinder than the fourth estate, though. Remember that ovation that Ranieri received in May 2004 in the final home game of the season against Leeds?
He knew he was going to be sacked and replaced by Mourinho. The fans did as well, and roared their approval and thanks for his contribution. And what a contribution!
For it was Ranieri, not Mourinho, that bought Frank Lampard and William Gallas. It was the Tinkerman who signed Claude Makelele, Joe Cole and Petr Cech. It was the Italian who gave John Terry his chance.
Likewise, in this transfer window at Juventus, Ranieri has bought well. Olof Mellberg is an experienced international defender with a propensity, recently discovered at Aston Villa, for headed goals at set-pieces, whilst Guglielmo Stendardo is an effective and unshowy full-back
Momo Sissoko, an £8.2 million signing from Liverpool, has seen his reputation spiral quicker than Ranieri’s in England, after a poor last season. However, he remains a lung-busting, effective Vieira-like midfielder, and a change of league and country could transform him.
The problem is that Ranieri may not be around to see it.
Juventus have been impressive this season, carrying little of the hangover expected from a season in Serie B.
Ranieri signed Vincenzo Iaquinta from Udinese in summer, and the Italy striker has already scored six goals in nine league appearances for the Old Lady.
He has got an Indian summer out of Alex del Piero, and has indulged and helped youngster Raffaele Palladino to come to terms with Serie A.
The problem is, that Ranieri is likely to become a victim of growing expectations.
Juve sit in third place in Serie A, a huge achievement for a side that came up from Serie B and has vastly different personnel from the one that was relegated in 2006 for its part in the Calciopoli scandal.
Yet, Juventus are an impatient club, and their fans already feel that they should be aiming for the league.
Sunday’s 1-1 home draw with Cagliari means that the Bianconeri are 12 points behind Inter Milan. Already, the whispers are starting to be heard about whether Ranieri is the right man to take them to the next stage.
It is outrageous, of course, but this is the club that sacked Didier Deschamps immediately after he got them promoted from Serie B last year.
Deschamps was the man who took Monaco to the Champions League final in 2004 at the expense of Ranieri’s Chelsea, but was still not deemed worthy of the opportunity of managing Juve in Serie A.
Don’t bet against the same thing happening again.
Ranieri could be the architect of a Champions League-qualifying team, but he may not be allowed to complete the journey.
http://www.setantasports.com/en/Blo...-not-the-builder/?facets/football/blog-space/
We need a new builder asap, someone that knows how to win trophy's and not smiling contest
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...It was a beautiful game??? Is this guy serious???
