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Ranieri keeps Leicester alert with unusual wake-up call

March 05, 2016

Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri says it is important to stay together smiling, not sad. – Reuters pic, March 5, 2016.Claudio Ranieri has revealed the bizarre imaginary bell routine he uses to keep his players alert during their unexpected challenge to win the Premier League title.

Ranieri apparently has developed a habit of making a noise like a ringing bell at anyone in the squad he feels is not paying attention.

Rather than being a sign of the Leicester manager feeling the strain of the title race, Foxes midfielder Danny Drinkwater, who initially lifted the lid on the wake-up call, recently insisted Ranieri's antics merely reflect the relaxed atmosphere around the squad and the Italian agrees.

"From the beginning, when something was wrong, I said 'dilly-ding, dilly-dong, wake up' during training sessions," Ranieri said ahead of the leaders' trip to Watford on Saturday.

"And on Christmas Day, I bought for each of the players a little bell, just as a joke. It was a funny thing.

"Every manager is different and has their philosophy. I like to try to make it so my players and myself, everybody can do our job, but with a smile.

"I don't want to see sad people around me. It is important to stay together, smiling."

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has warned Arsene Wenger that Arsenal's wealth of experience will count for nothing in the pressure-packed title race.

Pochettino's side host the Gunners on Saturday in one of the most eagerly anticipated showdowns between these bitter north London rivals for decades.

With second-placed Tottenham currently three points behind Leicester and three ahead of third-placed Arsenal, the latest battle for north London supremacy will have a significant influence on the outcome of both teams' title bids.

After finishing below Arsenal for the last 20 years, Tottenham are finally in position to turn the tables as they look to win the English title for the first time since 1961 and such is the clamour to see the fixture that tickets are changing hands for up to £800 (RM4,625) – nearly 10 times the most expensive face-value price.

Arsenal are the only side in the top three to have gone through the highs and lows of a title race in recent seasons.

But Pochettino, whose side saw their six-match winning run ended in a 1-0 loss at West Ham United on Wednesday, dismissed the theory that experience could be decisive as he pointed to Arsenal's successive defeats against Manchester United and Swansea City this week.

"It's difficult to know. If they have players that have the advantage to win the title, what happened against Manchester United or Swansea?" Pochettino said.

"Different clubs sometimes sign a player or a manager with a big background or big trophies behind them. Sometimes they have success and sometimes not.

"You never know. Football is not an ordinary business. Anything can happen."

Arsenal appear more vulnerable than ever and the absence of injured duo Petr Cech and Laurent Koscielny will strengthen Tottenham's belief that the balance of power in north London is about to change.

Alexis Sanchez hardly helped Arsenal's predicament when the Gunners winger publicly questioned his team-mates' hunger for success following the dismal Swansea defeat.

"I think we can win the Premier League with the players we have. That said, we lack a certain hunger," Sanchez said.

"We need to step out onto the pitch as if we're already 1-0 up. We lack self-belief, that we can actually be champions."

Manuel Pellegrini has warned his City stars there can be no repeat of their woeful defeat at Liverpool if they are to revive their slender title hopes against Aston Villa.

City's 3-0 loss was their third league defeat in a row and even though the League Cup winners have a game in a hand, bridging a 10-point gap between themselves and Leicester will be a monumental task

"Of course, we cannot play in the way we did. Not only did we concede three goals but we didn't shoot once," Pellegrini said.

"The most important thing is to recover our level of performance in the Premier League because we have lost the last three."

Manchester United, level on points with City in the race for a top-four finish, travel to West Brom on Sunday. – AFP, March 5, 2016.