Claudio Ranieri (left) talks with Jamie Vardy on the touchline of Leicester’s match against Hull at the KCOM Stadium in Hull on August 13, 2016 (AFP Photo/Lindsey Parnaby)
KINGSTON, United Kingdom, Aug 13 – Claudio Ranieri says Leicester City’s shock 2-1 defeat against troubled Hull City on Saturday should serve as a reality check for the Premier League champions.
Ranieri’s side were stunned by goals from Adama Diomande and Robert Snodgrass at the KCOM Stadium.
Foxes boss Ranieri believes Leicester’s loss proves how hard it will be to defend the title now that everyone is more aware of his team’s qualities.
“I told my players this season will be harder than last season. Today was a normal match, maybe a draw was normal but we lost it,” Ranieri said.
“For this reason I told them we must be very strong together because last season we showed ourselves as a very good team and we need to repeat that.”
Noticeably less vibrant without N’Golo Kante, the France midfielder who joined Chelsea in the close-season, Leicester paid the price for poor finishing and defensive mistakes.
Ranieri refused to criticise individuals, but he did admit his team had delivered an error-strewn display.
“They (Hull) played better. We tried to do our best. Our commitment was amazing but it was individual, not as a team,” Ranieri said.
“We tried to win but sometimes it’s impossible. We made some mistakes and we have to think where we made them.”
