Claudio Ranieri admits he does not know if Fulham job is safe after Southampton loss
Wednesday 27 February 2019 23:35, UK
Claudio Ranieri admitted he does not know if his job is safe after seeing his Fulham side edge closer to relegation after a 2-0 loss at Southampton.
Fulham slipped a perilous 10 points adrift of safety at St Mary's, with under-pressure manager Ranieri subject to protests from the travelling fans.
First-half goals from Saints duo Oriol Romeu and James Ward-Prowse inflicted the London club's seventh defeat from eight top-flight games.
Asked about his future, Ranieri replied: "My job? I don't know. Ask the owner."
Chants of 'You don't know what you're doing' greeted Ranieri's second-half substitutions, while a banner containing the words: 'Risk free? Are you watching Tony Khan?' was unfurled in reference to comments made by the club's vice-chairman following the Italian's appointment in November.
Ranieri, who said he may speak to Fulham owner Shahid Khan on Thursday, insisted he will continue to fight for an unlikely great escape with 10 games remaining.
"I cannot understand what has happened this season," Ranieri added. "Always I am just working hard until it is mathematically impossible, we continue to fight. We must believe and we must stay together.
"When you start well, when you control the ball, then your opponent scores a goal and we lose ambition. We have to react.
"The players they are trying to do their best but that is not enough. We have to do something more. All my players are very, very frustrated because they push a lot, they run, then they concede a goal."
