JibrinGary Rowett’s first actions as Leicester City manager as he issues ‘five years’ pledge
The new Leicester City manager has addressed the media for the first time since taking charge at the King Power Stadium on a contract until the conclusion of the Championship season
Gary Rowett expects the Leicester City squad to match his requirements as he prepares to operate the club like he’s been awarded a five-year deal.
Rowett has been installed in the hotseat at the King Power Stadium on an agreement until the end of the campaign with the objective of preserving the club’s status in the Championship.
But he insisted he’ll operate as though he’s at City for the long term as he outlines his demands of the players in order to extract the maximum from them.
However, that does not necessarily mean he’ll be delivering harsh realities regarding their league standing. While City have significantly underachieved to find themselves in the relegation zone, Rowett insists burdening them won’t assist.
“The work on the training pitch, it’s not just the shape and how we want to play, it’s also trying to affect the psychology of the team,” Rowett said at his first press conference on Thursday.
“How do we want to finish the season? We are where we are through, to a certain degree, our own fault, because of our performances over a period of time. We’ve got to do something about it. It’s showing the determination to do that. It’s trying to be positive.
“There’s no point me coming in and weighing them down with what’s happened and where they’ve been. I’m not interested in that. I’m interested in what we can do moving forward.
“Whether you’re 36 or 16, on a four-year contract or out of contract at the end of the season, it doesn’t matter. You finish the season as strong as you can and that benefits everybody at the football club and we’ll all feel better about ourselves. That’s been the clear message.
“It’s trying to give them a bit of freedom as well. Sometimes when you’re in the position, the pressure hits. Fans wonder if players are putting the effort in.
“But you can be affected by the pressure of where you are, so it’s taking that pressure away and showing the best version of the team.
“(Players that don’t show dedication) don’t play. In a perfect world, every player wants to do what you ask. We’ve had a really good response in the first couple of days.
“There are non-negotiables in terms of the standards. I’m here for 14 games, but I’ll lead the culture as though I’m here for five years. It doesn’t matter to me, it’s about what I believe is right and what I believe is wrong.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how they respond to certain situations. I’ve got my fingers crossed like everyone else that we can win games quickly. We’ll learn something either way and we’ll attack the game as positively as we can.”
As well as improving the psychology of the side, Rowett will know he needs to improve the defence. City are on a run of 26 games without a clean sheet in the Championship.
He said: “(The first priority) is to find the right balance. It’s a brutal league at times, with the number of games and intensity, and what the team have found is that it can be hard to find a stable platform of attacking but not conceding lots of chances.
“It’s about finding a balance to defend efficiently and effectively and consistently. That then gives the attacking players a really nice platform to be able to showcase their talents because we’ve got some very good players in the building.
“Sometimes it’s finding that right balance. It’s not always the best 11 players, it’s about the synergy between the team and understanding this league. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but you do have to work incredibly hard to win games of football.
“It all comes down to the organisation and the platform that gives the team the confidence to attack and keep attacking because you’re not having to constantly go and defend, and it becomes a basketball match.
“That’s the work we’ve done so far. A bit of clarity and a clear, direct message to the players over how we move forward.”
Jibrin
