Claudio Ranieri
Will the injured Ismaila Sarr be a big miss for Watford this weekend?
Yes, we still wait [for more news] on him and Nkoulou. But I want to remember, twice I substituted him and twice we scored against Everton and Manchester United. He’s a very important player for us but we also have some players on the bench who are ready to play and I’m sure they will do the maximum for the team.
Do you know when Sarr will be back?
No. At the moment, no.
Will you keep trying to play on the front foot as you did against Manchester United?
Yes, I love this kind of philosophy. And we must continue to do this. Now sometimes you can’t press higher, sometimes you can’t press in the middle third. But it’s important to do something during the whole match, from the start to the end.
Do you feel guilty about Ole Gunnar Solskjaer getting fired after you beat United?
Guilty? No. But a little sad, yes. Because we do this work, all the managers, with heart, with passion. And when you lose the job it’s no happy days. But after you have to think, okay one manager goes out, maybe one manager was on holiday and [will now] go back. It’s the life.
Will it be emotional returning to Leicester?
Yes, true, true. The job gave me a good emotion, good emotion. And I’m very proud to be part ofLeicester’s fairytale and history of football.
What do you think of the Leicester fans?
From the beginning, in the early days, they stayed with me. It’s unbelievable why. And I want to thank them once again.
Do you still stay in contact with any of the Leicester players?
No, I never stay in touch with my [former] players. If I did I’d have to have 10 phones for all my players.
Is the title win with the Foxes the most special moment of your career?
Yes, always this Premier League, it will be in my heart during all my life, of course. But I’m ready to write new things here in Watford.
What will it be like returning to the stadium where you celebrated the league win with Andrea Bocelli?
Yes, it was unbelievable. But I know, I’m very honest, it will be emotional from the beginning and after the match. During the match, I know I’m an opponent, and I will try to do my best.
What player has impressed you the most at Watford so far?
Look, [it’s] the group. There isn’t one player, the group is working very very well. I can’t say who has impressed me because I know in the Premier League [they all] have to work hard if you are to continue to play. The Championship is very different from the Premier League. This group knows what happens in the Premier League and this is very important.
What’s the next step after the win over Manchester United?
Now we have to continue in this way. I want to be consistent with the continuity. Of course, we have to achieve 40 points and we have to continue to fight in every situation, for every ball. At the end, we’ll see.
