Ranieri: Much work still ahead

Inter Milan coach Claudio Ranieri believes his side is not yet out of danger this season.

Inter climbed up to 10th in the league standings following Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Fiorentina at San Siro.

It was a much-needed win for Inter, who are 13 points off the top of the table. But Ranieri stressed that danger could still lie ahead.

“Winning tomorrow would not mean anything in particular except adding three points in the standings,” he said during a press conference on Monday.

“There is no turning point, you know how I think about that. We are continuing to work as we have always done, and Tuesday evening (against Genoa) we have to do well against a team that know how to play football.”

“Genoa have many new players and they know how to organise themselves well. After watching them play at Siena, I can only speak well of Genoa.”

“We must think only of ourselves, of our road ahead of us, which is not free from pitfalls. Therefore, we need to stay quiet and move forward.”

Ranieri went on to praise striker Diego Forlan, who could make his return to the team after more than two months on the sidelines. The former Chelsea, Valencia, Roma and Juventus manager revealed the Uruguay international will start the match on the bench.

“He is an immense player, lovely, with class and temperament and he will certainly do well for Inter,” Ranieri said.

“He is eager and we have to hold him back with chains because he would always like to play. He is like (Wesley) Sneijder; they always say they are okay and so we have to be the ones to decide.”

“Forlan is a modern player, a forward who knows how to play in other roles and thinks of working for the team.”

Ranieri played down the comments made by Inter president Massimo Moratti, who admitted to being ‘worried’ about the constant fitness problems of Wesley Sneijder.

“I think the president said it referring to the fact that in this particular moment not having Sneijder is not good,” Ranieri said.

“And then I was the one who decided to take it slowly in order to avoid him getting re-injured.”

“I am awaiting a Sneijder at his best, and all the top coaches in the world would want him at his best.”