JibrinGary Rowett discloses his plan to save Leicester City from League One relegation
The former Birmingham, Derby, Stoke and Millwall boss has been tasked with steering the club to Championship survival, with 14 fixtures remaining in the campaign
A robust defensive framework and a platform from which the attacking players can thrive are vital in handing Leicester City a “clear and direct route” to Championship survival, new manager Gary Rowett has said.
The 51-year-old has arrived on a deal until the end of the season with his sole mission on securing a place in the division. With 14 games to go, City are two points adrift of safety.
But as Rowett himself states, he’s “been in these positions before” and is confident he can guide City out of peril.
“I’m really proud to be the new Leicester City manager and to have the opportunity to work with and lead a really talented group over the coming months,” he told the club.
“It’s very clear to us all what needs to be achieved between now and the end of the season and the work begins immediately.
“I’m looking forward to building connections with the players, with the staff at the club and with the fans – all of which will be vital to helping us secure the results we need.
“Everyone knows the situation that the team are in and why they are there as well. It’s important that we tackle that, we take that on board, but I’ve been in the Championship for a long time, I know the division and I’ve been in these positions before.
“It’s also giving the players a clear and direct route out of it and what we need to do to improve results and try and start climbing the table and all feel better about where we are.
“It’s wanting to tackle these 14 games really positively and try and find a few of the missing pieces.
“Hopefully we can give everyone, including the fans, a really strong end to the season, with a team you are proud of and want to see on the football pitch, a team that gives everything and wants to dig in and hurt when it needs to and suffer when it needs to.
“Also, we know we can play some good football and control games as well. It’s finding the balance of what we need to do and it’s meeting that challenge head on.”
That equilibrium includes fixing a defence that has conceded in every one of their last 26 Championship matches, a streak that stretches back to mid-September.
But neither does Rowett wish to restrain a gifted group of attacking players, ones who will need to keep scoring if City are to collect the points required.
Rowett added: “I felt I was always the type of player who would try and give everything I could. Perhaps there were more talented players than me, but I tried to make the best of what I was.
“As a manager, I suppose it’s still the same. I want to really structure the team well, organise the team well. I also appreciate some of the talents I have in the team and it’s trying to give them that base to go and flourish as well.
“There’s different ways to do it but first and foremost, it’s a team that we need to find that right balance, the right connection with the defensive side of the game and what’s required in the Championship.
“We also want to get on the front foot, attack games and win games. That’s what this division is all about and the games come thick and fast. You’ve got to move on quickly from game to game but we’ll try and create a real excitement, particularly in the home games.
“You’ve got to show a little bit of resilience; you’ve got to show toughness and a real determination to go and do what it takes to win a game of football. But there’s lots of ways you can do that.
“You can do it by having a lot of the ball and attacking well, but in order to attack well consistently, you need to have the right defensive structure and balance.”
Jibrin
