Tuesday 22 December 2015 08:28, UK
Kasper Schmeichel has hailed the impact of Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri and believes the Italian’s decision not to make wholesale changes has been vindicated.
Ranieri was appointed as Leicester boss in July following the sacking of Nigel Pearson and has guided the club to their best ever start in the top flight.
Leicester currently sit two points clear at the top of the Premier League and have lost just one of their opening 17 matches this season.
Goalkeeper Schmeichel, an ever-present in the Premier League for Leicester this campaign, insists Ranieri's decision to maintain the club's existing players and coaching staff cannot be underestimated.
"He came into a side that was working pretty well, we won six or seven of our last 10 games in the Premier League. We were on a good run and had good momentum," he said.
"He has come in and he has got different ideas about a few things, but the most important thing, and what he deserves the most credit for, is he hasn't come in and tried to change everything. He recognised that things work quite well and has let us get on with it.
"He has kept the coaching staff from last season as well, which is massive and that's great credit to him because a lot of managers would come in and want all their own people and change everything to their own way.
"But for a coach to be adaptable like that is fantastic. He can be calm, he can be not so calm and like any manager they have to have all the different sides of their personality to get their point across."
Leicester face Liverpool at Anfield on Boxing Day before hosting title rivals Manchester City at the King Power Stadium on December 29.
They will also be buoyed by the fact that five of the last six teams who have topped the Premier League on Christmas Day have gone on to lift the title come May.
"We are underdogs at the moment and people are waiting for us to fail. They are waiting for us to drop off and that keeps helping us to push and battle for every point in every match," Leicester winger Nathan Dyer said.
"At the moment we are on Cloud Nine and, hopefully, we can stay there. It feels great to be top. The boys are playing really well at this moment in time.
"Everyone is together which helps massively. When you have confidence the sky is the limit really.
"This is a little bit crazy but, at the same time, it is keeping the buzz going and every day in training the lads are playing with a smile on their faces.
"It's better this season than last season so we can't complain."
Kasper Schmeichel wears Precision Goalkeeping's Schmeichology 5 range designed by himself. Follow @PrecisionGK for more information.
