Leicester City vs FC Kobenhavn - Claudio Ranieri backs Leicester to find form

Posted Tuesday, October 18, 2016 by PA

Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri has defended his misfiring Foxes and urged the club's critics to lay off.

The reigning Premier League champions have just eight points from the first eight games having lost four matches this season - one more than last term's title-winning campaign.

They host FC Copenhagen in the Champions League on Tuesday, with a 100 per cent record from two games in Group G and yet to concede a goal.

But the Foxes are only two points above the Premier League relegation zone and Ranieri is confident his players can turn their form around.

He said: "Sometimes you can play well and sometimes not so well. Like at Manchester United, the first half at Chelsea was no good but in the second half we played very well. I am very confident with my team.

"They fight and last season we were more compact but now everyone knows about us. Now we are in the balance, in the middle, and not as good as last season but it's normal for a team like Leicester.

"We want to improve but it's normal when we start the season to have something to work on because new players have come and everything is new. Maybe we want to do something more but we are Leicester, we're a good team and we have to show our qualities.

"I think we can fight in every match. Now our training sessions are Premier League and Champions League. We are getting better and have to be solid and strong and don't make any pressure about relegation."

Premier League record scorer Shearer accused Vardy on Monday of "sulking" and a "lack of effort" in the loss at Stamford Bridge, but Ranieri insisted he gave his striker, who has not scored for club and country in eight games, instructions to stay with Chelsea defender David Luiz.

He said: "I think ex-players can say everything. Shearer is a fantastic scorer but some months you can score, some months you can't.

"If he's speaking about Chelsea I told Jamie to stay with David Luiz. I wanted to give a point of reference to my players, counter attack and leave him with David Luiz - not his fault, it's mine maybe.

"It's important he stays calm, keeps his strength and he will score a goal."

Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani will return after starting on the bench at Chelsea and Ranieri admitted Leicester's back-to-back games against Copenhagen will define their Champions League future, with the reverse fixture in Denmark on November 2.

"At this moment it's a priority because in the Premier League we must be safe at the end of the year, the Champions League is now," he said.

"The next two are very important for us and will tell us what we can do in the Champions League."

FC Copenhagen boss Stale Solbakken insists he has nothing prove in England after his Wolves flop.

The 48-year-old suffered a miserable six-month spell at Molineux and was sacked in January 2013 before Wolves were relegated to Sky Bet League One.

Wolves sold Steven Fletcher, Matt Jarvis and Michael Kightly in August 2012 against Solbakken's wishes, leaving him just days to replace them.

He returned to Copenhagen eight months after leaving the Midlands, winning their 11th title last season and is untroubled about his record in England.

"It's not about me getting revenge, it's about FC Copenhagen getting a good game," said Solbakken. "We (Wolves) beat Leicester 2-1 back then so they are the ones who get revenge in this case.

"We started brightly and were top three in the first 10 games and then we hit a Championship dry spell due to different reasons. Before I got the chance to turn it around I was sacked. You get sacked after six or seven months in the Championship, managers do in the Championship, I don't think I'm the first one.

"I don't really care about that, we are playing Leicester in two games and we have a bigger chance of winning at Parken (Stadium) than we do here, but if we play to our best and maybe we are effective then we have a chance."