Ranieri hails substitute impact in win over Fiorentina

After a win over Fiorentina that took his side to the 30-point mark in Serie A, Claudio Ranieri shared his thoughts on proceedings at the Marassi: “It was a tough game against an excellent side, who don’t deserve to be where they are In the table.

“The first half was very tactical and the goals came from set pieces. In the second half, when they were gaining the upper hand, I was lucky enough to be able to make important changes, thanks to the squad I have at my disposal.

“[Antonio] Candreva and [Fabio] Quagliarella made the difference when they came on: that’s what all coaches want. Well done to them and the others who came on.”

Asked about the line-up for Sunday’s game, Ranieri said he picked a team like others previously used against teams playing three at the back: “That’s where the decision came from.”

He continued: “The aim is not to concede like we did last year. We have to focus on the 40-point mark and achieving safety. Then we’ll move on: we have to improve and we can only do that with passion, which comes with points.

“I liked the team spirit I saw but there are still things to fix, like the quality of our passing. We made too many mistakes in the first half. But the important thing was to fight until the end. Let’s keep on being ambitious.”