Claudio Ranieri has fiercely denied his reputation as a “nearly man” and told Mauricio Pochettino to wait for another year to win the Premier League title. The Italian was speaking before Sunday’s home game against Swansea City, when his Leicester City side can open up an eight‑point lead over Tottenham Hotspur and move a step closer to the first top-flight title of Ranieri’s career.

Ranieri has finished second on four occasions in three different countries since becoming a manager, and with that track record in mind the 64-year-old knows the sort of comments that will be levelled at him if Pochettino’s Spurs side overhaul Leicester in the final four matches of the season.

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Ranieri’s Chelsea were runners up to Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ in 2004 and five years later he was in charge at Juventus when they finished second in Serie A. The following season Ranieri won more points per game than any other Serie A manager but Roma had lost their first two matches before his appointment and José Mourinho’s Internazionale pipped them to the title. Four years later Ranieri’s Monaco team finished second to Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1 after accumulating 80 points, the most any team have achieved in France without winning the league.

“Every time I was behind,” Ranieri said. “I know there are people out there who, if I don’t win the title [with Leicester], will say: ‘Ah, Ranieri, he always comes second.’ Yes, but look at my career. Look at it. I was second at Chelsea. But we had started to build a team during the previous year. I continued to buy people during the first Premier League matches. We came second.

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“At Roma, I was second. I arrived after two matches. We had zero points. We finished with 80 points. Inter had 82. I lost but what more could I do? I arrived at Juventus the first year after [promotion from] Serie B. We were third, then second. What more could I do? I had four or five champions but others were young players. At Monaco we won the second division. Then we finish behind Paris Saint-Germain, second by eight points. Now I try to win this [Premier League title].”

Tottenham, who host West Bromwich Albion on Monday, turned up the pressure with a resounding 4-0 victory at Stoke City 24 hours after Leicester had been held to a 2-2 draw by West Ham United. Harry Kane mischievously posted a picture on Instagram of four lions about to go on a hunt the day before the Stoke game, and at the Britannia Stadium the Tottenham fans were singing: “Leicester City, we’re coming for you”.

With Leicester trying to keep a low profile, Ranieri was asked whether he had a message for Pochettino. “Mauricio, you can wait. Wait for one more year,” the Leicester manager said, smiling, before insisting that he was not feeling the heat any more than usual. “The pressure is always at the top. They have been behind all year. I’m not bothered. I would love to stay five points ahead.”

With Jamie Vardy suspended for the visit of Swansea, Leicester will be without their leading scorer and could do with Riyad Mahrez recapturing his best form. Mahrez has 16 Premier League goals and 11 assists to his name this season but the Algerian, who has been shortlisted along with Vardy and N’Golo Kanté for the PFA player of the year award, has been quiet in recent weeks.

“I’m very happy with him,” Ranieri said. “If you see what Riyad did, it’s fantastic. Every time he touches the ball, it’s a great ball. He is fouled a lot because everybody knows him and they want to stop him, so it’s harder for him. He’s very clever and if you remember who makes the right pass to N’Golo Kante to go on the counter attack last week [for Vardy’s opening goal], it was Riyad. Only he has the key to open the defensive line. It’s fantastic. Maybe he doesn’t look fantastic now but look and you will see what he does with the ball.”