Claudio Ranieri builds on Leicester City momentum and restores his reputation

Italian arrived after torrid spell with Greece and 'Tinkerman' nickname ready to be revived but his methods are bringing the good times back to the Foxes

Toppings on pizzas were all Claudio Ranieri had on his mind at Leicester City earlier this season. Topping the Premier League was never on the agenda.

But whether it becomes known as 'the Italian Job' or 'Mission Improbable', Ranieri’s recipe has been one of the surprise stories of the season so far as he prepares to face Manchester United this weekend at the top of the table.

With his squad riding a wave of optimism from last season’s scramble to safety, Ranieri’s reputation has been spectacularly repaired and completed a remarkable renaissance at the grand old age of 64.

Twelve months ago he was unceremoniously dismissed by Greece, after a humiliating home defeat by European punchbag the Faroe Islands, with the Hellenic Football Federation apologising for a “most unfortunate choice of coach”.

The critics were queueing up when he made return to English football in July, too, with bookmakers instantly predicting that the Foxes would be extinct as a Premier League club by the end of the campaign.

Yet Leicester’s 3-0 victory at Newcastle on Saturday ensured they have now racked up 50 points from a possible 66 since April and the feel-good factor is showing no signs of fading.

Jamie Vardy’s remarkable run of goals, scoring in 10 successive league games, have been crucial while the impact of players including Riyad Mahrez, Danny Drinkwater and summer signing N’Golo Kanté cannot be overestimated.

Yet Ranieri already has a 62 per cent win ratio and has done little tinkering since his appointment, preferring to stick with the attack-minded approach employed by predecessor Nigel Pearson.

Ranieri is too genial and polite to point it out but he is already 14 points above one of his former clubs Chelsea, who dumped him in favour of the Special One 11 years ago.

“I'm proving I’m not past it, as it looked after the defeats with Greece. I think that the Greece situation has not improved since I left but I’m very positive and happy to be at Leicester,” he says.

“I have a duty to keep our feet on the ground. We will aim for 40 points and then we will see. Now comes the hard part: between now and New Year we have a terrible cycle. We have to play against Manchester United, Swansea, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool and Manchester City.