JibrinLeicester City appoint new boss with a clear plan ahead of next week’s Middlesbrough visit
Gary Rowett has been given 14 games to save Leicester City
Gary Rowett has suggested his focus will be on defensive stability after being named Leicester City boss ahead of their trip to Middlesbrough next week.
Boro host the Foxes next Tuesday evening, which will be Rowett’s second game at the helm. He was appointed on Wednesday after leading training for the first time earlier that day.
Rowett, who made 57 appearances for Leicester during his playing days, has been handed a short-term contract until the end of the season. They sit third-bottom of the Championship, two points adrift of safety ahead of Rowett’s first game in charge at Stoke City this weekend.
With Leicester without a clean sheet in 26 matches, Rowett was clear on his objective, as he said: “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.
“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. 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.
“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.”
Chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha took his time with the appointment. Rowett inherits a squad that have lost their last three league matches, and were also eliminated from the FA Cup.
Rowett possesses extensive Championship experience, having previously managed Birmingham City, Derby County, Stoke City and Millwall. He was recently dismissed by the Foxes’ relegation rivals Oxford United.
Explaining why he eventually selected Rowett, the chairman said: “Gary is a manager with deep knowledge of the Championship and experience of the situation we now face in these final 14 games of the season – a fight for survival in the division.
“It is a task on which the entire club is focused, and we will provide Gary with every support to help us find the solutions we need.”
Jibrin
