Ranieri focused on Foxes attitude not formation

Leicester City won the Premier League title last season primarily playing with just one formation but Claudio Ranieri insists he is always happy to mix things up.

The 4-2-3-1 system worked brilliantly for the Foxes a year ago, with N’Golo Kante and Danny Drinkwater pulling the strings in a midfield duo.

But since Kante’s departure, Leicester have struggled to recreate their title-winning form, and are in a relegation battle in defence of their crown.

And Ranieri explained that for him the crucial factor is not the formation in which the players line up, but rather their attitude on the pitch.

(Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)

He said: “It’s not important the system, but the mentality is important. The system can help you. I’m not closed with the 4-2-3-1 like we are used to playing or the three at the back. It’s important to understand the best players I can choose to put the opponent under pressure.

“You have to surprise the opponent. If you want to make some changes, there are so many teams that change their system.

“Sometimes I do this, sometimes during the training session we change the system. For example this week, one half they played one system and the other another system. The mind of the players is open.”