Can Claudio Ranieri’s conservative style resurrect Roma’s season? | OneFootball

With just thirteen points from as many games to commence the Serie A campaign, Roma are currently in the midst of their worst start to a league season in more than a decade.

The disastrous start has ultimately cost Ivan Juric his job, with local legend Claudio Ranieri drafted in as replacement until the end of the season. If Ranieri’s opening game against Napoli is anything to go by, Roma will at least start to concede fewer goals.

Solid as a Rock

When Ranieri’s Leicester won the Premier League title in 2015/16, it was a shock success based upon defensive solidity.

For those betting on Premier League results, you’ll notice that the Foxes are offered at 4/7 odds for relegation, reflecting their lack of standing this season. Back in 2015/16, though, Leicester held a 5000/1 chance at taking the title, showing how they massively outperformed expectations all thanks to Ranieri’s strategy.

The football betting tips are giving Roma short shrift in Serie A too; a stance which is justified given their poor start. However, Ranieri has a habit of making his teams tough to beat if nothing else. Leicester, of course, conceded at a rate of lower than a goal-per-game in their title triumph, losing just three of the 38 games that they played.

The temporary appointment of the man born in Roma seems to be an emotion-led decision; getting the fans back on side at the Stadio Olimpico being one of the key factors behind the choice. However, Ranieri could yet improve Roma’s fortunes on the pitch. Whilst it might not always be pretty to watch, at least I Giallorossi will have a solid foundation of defensive solidity.

New Faces in Naples

Gone was Juric’s 3-4-2-1 formation used against Napoli in November, with Ranieri instead opting for his tried-and-tested 4-4-1-1. It’s the shape he’s used throughout his career, but most expertly at Leicester: defending deep before counter-attacking at pace.

Ranieri used the same faces as Juric had in defence, but found a place in his starting eleven for Stephan El Shaarawy on the right-hand side. In the second half, he brought star-man Paulo Dybala off the bench and placed him on the right side of the attack – a nod to his use of Riyadh Mahrez in a similar role at Leicester.

Bryan Cristante anchored the midfield, while Lorenzo Pellegrini was asked to occupy a slightly unusual role as a number ten. Ranieri’s choices demonstrate a particularly defence-minded set-up, with two banks of four supported by the more traditional midfield stylings of Pellegrini.

Artem Dovbyk was left ploughing a lonely furrow in attack, with the Ukrainian more of a target man than a ‘run in behind’ striker; as Ranieri had used to such success in the form of Jamie Vardy.

Roma kept just four clean sheets in Juric’s opening 13 games of the campaign, but against Napoli they restricted their opponents to just two shots on target – albeit one of them being Romelu Lukaku’s winner in the 1-0 verdict.

But they let Napoli have 63% possession of the ball, while mustering just one shot on target themselves from a rare foray forward.

Clearly, Ranieri is going to stick to the principles that have guided him through his illustrious managerial career. The hope is that Roma fans see the positives of defensive stability… even if it comes at the cost of attacking entertainment.