Leicester City vs Everton - Claudio Ranieri swaps tinkering for thinking

Posted Saturday, May 07, 2016 by PA

Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri insists he has ditched his Tinkerman tag and is now the Thinkerman.

The Italian has guided the Foxes to a stunning Barclays Premier League title after they were 5,000-1 to win the league at the start of the season.

Ranieri has used just 23 players this season, with only 17 making 10 or more league appearances, after being nicknamed the Tinkerman for his rotation policy at Chelsea between 2000-2004.

But after Leicester's success he believes that label will change now.

He said: "I am the Thinkerman, not Tinkerman!

"To win the title in the Premier League is something special and more special in Leicester, more with these fantastic lads. Unbelievable.

"Never could I have imagined this. We work so hard. Everyone does, but only one can win. This year it happened to me."

Ranieri has also helped organise a performance from opera singer Andrea Bocelli after the star called him two months ago to offer his support.

The 57-year-old will sing for the Leicester fans before Saturday's final home game of the season against Everton, after which they will be presented with the trophy.

Ranieri said: "He will sing here. He called me, one month and a half ago, two months ago. He was so happy (about) what we were doing in Leicester. He said: 'I would like to come and sing something'. I said: 'Great, why not?'

"I gave all the information to the club and they made all the arrangements. It is great for all the community. He's not a friend, I met him a long time ago, I had been to his concert at Wembley. I don't know if he remembers. Now, yes maybe (he remembers)!"

The Italian toasted Leicester's success with a glass of champagne with journalists on Thursday and believes their victory was deserved.

"Of course I think it's my karma because I work so hard to achieve things," he added.

"I am very happy and I want to say thank you to all my players, the chairman, the staff and the fans. They were amazing."

Jamie Vardy could be recalled after his suspension but Danny Drinkwater and Robert Huth are banned.

Gareth Barry and Seamus Coleman have only an outside chance of being fit for Everton's trip.

Barry (groin) and Coleman (hamstring) are more likely to return against Sunderland next week while captain Phil Jagielka (hamstring) could make the final game of the season at home to Norwich.

Ramiro Funes Mori serves the final match of his three-game ban while winger Gerard Deulofeu's campaign has been ended by a knee injury.

Roberto Martinez feels Jagielka has a lot to offer England and insists there should be no worries about his fitness for the European Championship.

The Everton captain is currently sidelined by a hamstring problem but is on track to return for the final match of the Barclays Premier League season against Norwich next weekend.

Jagielka originally sustained the injury a month ago and then aggravated it during the FA Cup semi-final defeat by Manchester United after being rushed back.

Roy Hodgson plans to name his 23-man squad for Euro 2016 three days before the last round of domestic fixtures, although the final deadline is not until May 31. England's first match of the tournament in France is against Russia on June 11.

Martinez said: "There are injuries sometimes that you can't really predict and this one we can predict. He's already working at 60 per cent of his ability in terms of running.

"I would be very, very surprised if he's not available for the Norwich game so there's no accuracy that he could miss any length of time during mid-May. Phil Jagielka will be fully fit probably by May 12 or 13."