JibrinLeicester City are edging closer to appointing Gary Rowett as the successor to Marti Cifuentes, with the 51-year-old having been unattached since shortly before Christmas following his departure from Oxford United.
The Foxes are staring at the threat of relegation for a second consecutive campaign, but Rowett is in advanced discussions to take charge at Leicester and secure safety in 2025/26. They currently occupy 22nd place in the Championship.
Leicester’s recent performances have been underwhelming and their upcoming five fixtures are equally as challenging when measured against their relegation competitors. However, Leicester find themselves in the bottom three largely because of a six-point penalty.
They still possess significant talent within the squad, with Jordan James and Abdul Fatawu standing out this term. There are also several former Premier League players available, capable of delivering far more than they have produced so far this season.
The Leicester City verdict on Gary Rowett
FLW’s Leicester fan pundit Louchlainn Martin was asked for his verdict on whether he is the man to keep Leicester up, or if this is a bad move once more from Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha and Jon Rudkin.
He said: “So Gary Rowett to Leicester City looks like it’s happening. What are my thoughts on this? Well, I’ve kind of got two ways of looking at this.
“I think, if you look at the profile of manager and the pragmatic football and that he’s a bit of a man-manager, then I think it’s probably the right decision.
“I think he’s probably one of our best hopes at trying to stay up this season and to try to survive relegation. You know, I do think we had to go for this type of manager, rather than a ‘project’ manager — if you like.
“My real negative about this is that Gary Rowett has been out of a job since December. There is no reason why, if Rowett was a name near the top of the list, why we couldn’t have got him two weeks ago.
“Two weeks ago, within days of Marti Cifuentes leaving. It makes no sense. It has taken over three weeks to hire a manager who has been out of work for two months.
“So that is where my frustration is with the situation. We have let four games pass us by. Four games, zero wins, zero draws, four losses.
“You just never know how different that could have been, had we had a different manager in earlier. We could have been outside of the relegation zone. Whereas, as it stands, we are well in it.”
Leicester City’s 2026/27 outlook if Gary Rowett secures survival
Rowett guided Oxford to safety from a comparable situation last season, and previous spells with Birmingham City and Millwall saw him outperform expectations. Nevertheless, sections of the Leicester support may remain unconvinced by the latest development.
On paper, the squad at his disposal is significantly stronger than at least any of the bottom nine sides in the division — and potentially stronger than several above them as well. There is little reason why almost any alternative manager, alongside a fresh voice in the dressing room, could not spark improvement.
Cifuentes endured a surprisingly disappointing spell, but Rowett understands the league and the demands required to remain in it. In truth, Leicester’s campaign should have amounted to far more than this and involved a push for promotion.
Yet staying up this season could trigger a shift in momentum next year, particularly given the calibre within the squad. In the immediate term, Rowett may serve as the link the Foxes need to reach a stage where they can properly rebuild in 2026/27.
Jibrin
