OPINION
Former Newcastle United midfielder Mick Martin suggested that Claudio Ranieri could cheer up Magpies supporters if he was appointed, and he was surely wrong to do so.
The 67-year-old, who featured over 100 times for Newcastle during the late 70s, revealed that Ranieri had the experience that the club should be looking for in a successor for Rafa Benitez before stating that he could possibly be the man to put a smile back on people’s faces.
“Claudio would have that experience, he done a great job at Leicester City of course, but then failed at Fulham when he probably came in too late,” said Martin in an interview with the Chronicle.
“Perhaps he is the man to bring a smile back to people’s faces?
“Experience is very important.”
While Martin is entitled to his opinion and clearly still has the Magpies in his heart, he’s wrong to think that Ranieri would be a good appointment and is barking up the wrong tree even further to think his arrival would see smiles return.
The former Magpies player is aware that Ranieri failed with Fulham in his brief spell as manager last season, and wrongly dismisses it as being a telling sign of the manager’s quality.
Martin claimed Ranieri arrived at Craven Cottage too late, but that simply isn’t the case.
The 67-year-old oversaw 17 matches before Fulham sacked him, and he won only three of them.
Ranieri was brought in to Fulham to make them defensively stronger, as that was what was causing them problems before his arrival, and made the side generally worse.
Under Ranieri, Fulham conceded 32 goals in 16 games which isn’t a whole lot better than how his predecessor Slavisa Jokanovic oversaw his side ship 31 goals in 12 matches, yet at least they scored goals at the other end to make up for it under the Serbian. (Source: BBC Sport)
Also if it was rare for Ranieri to fail at a club, fair enough, Martin may have a point; but that isn’t the case.
The Italian may have won the Premier League with Leicester City, but then he did also go on such a terrible run they had no choice but to sack him.
The Foxes parted company with Ranieri in February 2017 with them sat only one point above the relegation zone with just thirteen games left. (Source: BBC Sport)
So with Rafa Benitez being a hard act to follow after guiding the Magpies to two comfortable finishes in the Premier League; Newcastle fans will be far from happy if the Italian with a dodgy track record is appointed.
