Photo credit: AFP

Claudio Ranieri has sought to pitch himself as the kindly figure watching on in the background as Leicester City have thrust themselves to a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League.

The amicable Italian is understated in his demeanor in press conferences and on the sidelines, composed and scrupulous in the manner in which he absorbs everything around him. 

At times, Ranieri resembles a wily professor overseeing a class of students; the kind whose word is final and instructions, delivered without a tinge of angst, are taken on without fuss. He’s the type of coach you can imagine politely asking his players to flog themselves to the brink of breakdown and they’ll follow orders to the letter.

It was a trait evident when Ranieri spoke about an imaginary bell he uses to keep players focused recently. Indeed, there was a charming authority about the “dilly-ding, dilly dong” sounds and accompanying hand gestures he made to the press.

They’re qualities which have been a major aid in this remarkable season for the Foxes. Ranieri has never gotten carried away, has rarely bemoaned bad refereeing decisions and when questions about Premier League glory have inevitably been put to him, an impudent smile and conservative words have followed.

Yet while the soccer stratosphere has been enchanted by the warm persona of the veteran boss, there’s been a lot more to admire about the coach than his genial aura.

Ranieri, while plenty—this writer included—weren’t sure about whether he was the right man to take on the job at Leicester, has fitted in perfectly at the King Power Stadium.

Nigel Pearson has been hailed as the man who built the foundations to this side during his spell at the club and there’s no doubt that towards the end of 2014-15, he had the Foxes playing a functional and ferocious style of football. But credit must go to the Leicester hierarchy, who showcased a proactivity and ambition in moving him on to bring Ranieri in.

The Italian, despite disappointing stints with Greece and Monaco prior to taking on the job, has used his experience to add gloss to the robust set-up already in place. His coaching has not only enhanced the attributes of attackers such as Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy, but also to gradually forge a defensive shape synonymous with sides from his homeland.

And as the season has gone on, with Leicester trailblazing their way to the top of the table, the influence of the manager has become increasingly pertinent.

So many sides, with players who have never been in this kind of position before, would have faltered by now. But Ranieri has made subtle adjustments to keep momentum going and dreams of a sensational league win intact.

You can bet the players have continually looked to him as well. After all, he’s arguably the only man in the set-up who has been in scenario like this before, having steered Chelsea to second place in 2003-04, with just 30 goals conceded. So it’s been intriguing to watch the alterations in this team as the season has rolled along.

The Foxes were a side that continued to come out on top in frantic, free-scoring games earlier on in the campaign, don’t forget.

But now, with glory in their sights, Ranieri has simplified and organized. Leicester have conceded just six goals in their 10 games played in 2016; compare that with 17 in their first 10 games of the season and the shift in emphasis has been clear.

Ranieri’s alterations in-game have been extremely impressive too, especially in precariously poised matches as of late.

Looking back to their last game, a 1-0 win at Watford, a double substitution at half-time—bringing on Andy King and Jeffrey Schlupp for Shinji Okazaki and Marc Albrighton—was geared towards giving Mahrez more freedom. The Algerian eventually scored a fine winning goal from a position he rarely found himself in in the first period.

Also, in the 1-0 win over Norwich City, Ranieri turned to Leonardo Ulloa in place of defender Daniel Amartey late in the game and while that could have easily been cue for the Foxes to go direct, the Italian had a trick up his sleeve.

“When he received the ball I was saying: ‘Cross on the floor, cross on the floor,’ because they are very good in the air,” said the 64-year-old of Albrighton, who provided the assist for the crucial winning goal. “I enjoy when there is something to do from my side of things,” he added.

There is certainly a conviction about Ranieri’s decision-making. For a trip to Norwich earlier this term, the manager withdrew the in-form Mahrez from the starting line-up; the Foxes, boosted by the energy of his replacement Okazaki, went on to win 2-1. It’s clear that at this stage of his managerial career, Ranieri is not a man swayed by reputation.

Yet even in the twilight of his days on the sidelines, it’s also clear lessons are being learned. The man previously dubbed as the “Tinkerman” has relied on a core of critical players this season and the cohesion which they’ve struck up as a result has been central to their success.

At the moment, Ranieri is being painted as a coach who has added some finishing touches to this outfit and watched it flourish. But should they go on and sample glory, the manager will have had a decisive role in the team keeping their heads amidst the pressures of a run-in, just as he’s understatedly done already to get them to this point.