Claudio Ranieri believes that ‘35 or 36 points’ could be enough to secure safety from Serie A relegation in 2023-24, but has pleaded his players not to lose their focus after a string of massively important results in the league over the last few weeks.
Cagliari, currently 14th in Serie A with 31 points after 32 rounds of fixtures, are now unbeaten in their last three league matches, and are coming off the back of an impressive 2-2 draw away at San Siro against the league leaders, Inter.
They also inflicted a 2-1 defeat on high-flying Atalanta the week prior.
Ranieri, who sat down for his pre-match press conference ahead of Friday’s home match against Juventus, told the media that his players have to continue with what they have been doing over the last few weeks.
Ranieri’s pre-Juventus preview
Before the Atalanta and Inter matches, Ranieri had recently implored his players to go about their business with calmness, and when asked if there have been any changes to the coach’s message, he replied: “Not much else, the boys have to continue like that, with measure. It doesn’t take long to go from joy to despair.
“(Juventus are) a team that knows what they’re doing, just like their coach said. They know how to find the goal and defend themselves in the area. In Europe, nobody knows how to stop their opponents coming into the area quite like them. They are also deadly from set pieces.
“In training, I notice what my players do. It’s important they know that I have no limits, and if they train well and I send them onto the pitch, while also considering the type of opponent we face. They know me and they know how I act.”
When asked what he thinks Cagliari need to survive in Serie A come the end of the 2023-24 campaign, Ranieri replied: “I think 35 or 36 points, there’s a risk below that. Nobody is safe, and the teams involved are all still alive. No result is guaranteed. In the last ten days, we’ve seen that it’s ‘each man for themselves’ and those who hold their nerves tend to reach their goals.”
Team news, Mina and Luvumbo updates
“Pavoletti isn’t training with the group yet, Petagna will be available soon. Mancosu isn’t with us yet, Gaetano has recovered well.”
On Yerry Mina, Ranieri added: “The boy is with us and he is determined, even though he isn’t feeling very well at the moment. I’m not going to put us in danger, but I will call upon him if we need him.
Then, when discussing the dangerous Zito Luvumbo, he said: “He’s a guy who creates a lot of imbalances on the pitch, and his opponents are starting to fear him. He’s a constant danger, he draws a lot of fouls, so much so that he often loses balance because of his speed and draws a lot out of the referee.”
“It’s important to always have everybody available, to have more than one system. It’s logical that a third midfielder would allow us more options for our wide players as well.”