Claudio Ranieri admits table-topping Leicester were planning for a relegation battle

Claudio Ranieri admits when he joined Leicester he'd be fighting a relegation battle

 

CLAUDIO RANIERI says table-topping Leicester were planning for possible relegation when he took over in the summer.

 

The Italian says he was lured to the club by their Thai owners' long-term ambition to reach the Premier League's top four. But he admitted the Foxes could not have dreamed of leading the way after 16 games, and were even preparing contingency plans for relegation.

"I didn't believe when I signed my contract that in December we would be top of the league," said Ranieri. "But two things were very, very fantastic for me.

"One was to hear from my owner that he wanted in the next two years to maintain Leicester in the Premier League, then grow up and try to achieve the top places.

"The other was when his son asked me, 'If everything goes wrong, will you stay with us in the Championship?' I said, 'Yes, I will stay here'.

 

"This was amazing for me because there was a balance - there was a big project but also they wanted me to stay even if everything went wrong."

Leicester have taken the Premier League by storm with Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez scoring a total of 26 goals, and head for Everton this afternoon with just one defeat so far.

Toffees boss Roberto Martinez reckons for his side to show similar standing they must become more streetwise ahead of the two-month spell he believes will shape their season.

Everton have garnered plaudits this term for their attacking thrust, marshalled by the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Ross Barkley and Gerard Deulofeu, but have won just two of their last nine league games to stymie progress.

In recent weeks, Everton have thrown away winning positions against Bournemouth and Norwich, while failing to convert their superiority against Crystal Palace, and Martinez said:

 

"The overall picture is we should've got an extra six points because we've been so consistent over the three games. But you don't get that sort of consistency in the league unless you are a team that's expected to win the league, so we have to be a little bit more understanding, our team needs support now and we need to help the players as a football club.

"We have shown signs of becoming a top side during this period, now we need to become a winning team and that brings a bit of understanding, know-how, how to defend the box, not getting done in certain dead ball situations."

James McCarthy will not be risked if there are any doubts over his recovery from a groin problem, but with captain Phil Jagielka set to return before the end of the year and Steven Pienaar also on the comeback trail, Martinez is viewing a crucial period with optimism.

"The next eight weeks are vital for us," he said. "It's not about how many points we can get because that's going to be in the final 11 games of the season. Now it's about how good we can be as a team, what sort of understanding the young players can get of how to manage scorelines and how to manage certain moments of the game.

"The attitude of the players and the character is really special and what we do on the ball is really exciting, but I agree that if you don't get three points you can't be satisfied."