' Latest on Claudio Ranieri '

RANIERI WANTS TO SPEAK TO LEICESTER PLAYERS

25/02/17

Rob Dorsett speaking on Sky Sports News HQ from Leicester's training ground just now:

"I have been told that Claudio Ranieri wants to turn up here to talk to the players because he hasn't had a chance to say goodbye to them. Will we see him at the training ground? That's to be confirmed. He didn't get a chance to speak to the players because he was sacked after the squad had split up.

"A lot of players are very hurt by the suggestion that they got Ranieri sacked. One or two of the senior players have told me through intermediaries that no, they certainly did not do that and they didn't want that to be the case."

"There was a meeting in Seville with Leicester's owners, but the owners had already made their decision that they wanted Ranieri out. When they gave him a vote of confidence two weeks ago, they expected two things to happen: one, for the players to all fall in line and come on board, two for there to be a bounce in results. Neither of those things happened, of course.

"The players did voice some disconcern about Ranieri's tactics and the way he was going about things; I think that's been blown up by media organisations.

"What you've got to understand about the owners if that they are very respectful people and I don't think they'd like to do underhand work and start tapping up other managers while Ranieri was still in place.

"They are trying to take their time, take stock of where they are at and see what happens over the next few days."

They wouldn't know respect if it sh*t them in the face. Unbelievable decision to sack Ranieri.

The players can say what they like, but their performances got his the sack, they were not working for him like they had done the previous season. I am gutted for the fans and Ranieri, but like Cardiff, Swansea and Hull as we're going down they had to make the change.