Claudio Ranieri Needs a Win With Greece To Save His Job

He hasn’t even hit the halfway point into the qualifiers for the 2016 Euro Cup and he’s already thinking of getting sacked. Claudio Ranieri‘s managerial position for Greece will undoubtedly be determined against the Faroe Islands. In his first three games as Greece’s manager, Ranieri has yet to find a win and currently sits second to last in the standings for the 2016 Euro Cup qualifiers. Ranieri signed a two-year contract, but the way things are going, he might not even make it out 2014.

When Ranieri was announced as the new manager for Greece, there was this sense of relief because of his background. Ranieri’s managerial resume includes Inter, Roma, Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Valencia and Chelsea, so of course he would begin a new era for Greece. Unfortunately, despite his new philosophies, nothing seems to be working for Ranieri and the Greeks as they have lost to Romania 1-0, Northern Ireland 2-0 and what should have been a win ended up being a 1-1 draw against Finland. The Greeks have to play these teams one more time and Hungary two times, but if Ranieri can’t pull off a win against the Faroe Islands, then his job is in jeopardy.

The Faroe Islands seem to be the weakest link in the group, so if Greece can’t beat them, who can they beat? For the matchup, Ranieri decided to drop Olympiakos striker Kostas Mitroglou and West Brom winger Georgios Samaras who both were a deciding factor in the World Cup. Ranieri also added veteran defender Avraam Papadopoulos to solidify his defensive unit alongside Kostas Manolas and Sokratis Papastathopoulos.

One philosophy that seems to be evident in Ranieri’s tactics is his trust in young talent. Ranieri has started some fresh faces for Greece such as Nikos Karelis, Charalampos Mavrias and Michalis Bakakias. Using young talent is a great idea, but if you’re in Ranieri’s position, then you should line up the more consistent players to assure you victory. 

It’s too soon for Ranieri to be sacked, but when you take a job that has certain expectations that are not met, then no matter your background, you’re getting fired. There is no doubt that Greece has the ability to see off the Faroe Islands, but Ranieri needs to stop testing out the waters and get one thing — a win.

John Tolis is an Oakland Raiders writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @J_TOLIS, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.