Why Gary Rowett and Leicester City Feels Like a Big Gamble

The Leicester City Downfall Continues - Is Rowett The Man?

After the departure of Marti Cifuentes, Leicester City is in the market for a managerial replacement, and there are already a few front-runners in their pursuit. This includes former player Gary Rowett, who was previously sacked from fellow Championship side Oxford United in December. The Englishman has established a reputation as a credible Championship manager, though fans have had differing opinions on his rumoured appointment.

Saving the Falling Foxes

A side that was in the Premier League last season now looks unrecognisable in the second tier, overshadowed by financial issues and manager merry-go-rounds. The Foxes sit 14th in the division with no wins in three, with the defeat at home to Oxford being the nail in the coffin for Cifuentes. While fan aspirations remain firmly on a return to the top flight, perhaps stability is what is really needed at the football club, especially bolstered by the news that there is PSR trouble on the horizon.

"I'm worried too, every year we try to comply with the PSR and the only year we don't know what it is, is the year we were relegated" 🗣️

Khun Top admits he is worried about the outcome of the PSR hearing which could mean a significant points deduction for Leicester City. pic.twitter.com/tHMme8Xsdj

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) January 27, 2026

An uninspiring managerial appointment will not be music to the ears of many fans, especially one who has been sacked from three of his last four jobs. Rowett has proven he can steer a sinking ship before, as we weigh up the positives and negatives of a potential rekindling between the 51-year-old and Leicester City.

A Smart Choice

Most Championship fans would look at the rumours between Rowett and Leicester in shock, and not in a good way. That said, he established Millwall as a top-half Championship club and steered Oxford away from relegation in recent years. He has developed a reputation as a viable manager in this division, though the calibre of football may not make it to any movie screens anytime soon.

A great strength of his is the ability to claw out results, getting in front and staying in front, which is never a certainty in the Championship. For a Leicester City side that has lost more games than it has won, a continuous search for a manager that plays 'fancy football' is not going to solve their defensive woes. The Foxes have kept the least clean sheets in the division, alongside Norwich City and Sheffield Wednesday, having conceded 43 goals in 29 league matches. In his first season in charge at Millwall, the Lions kept the (joint) most clean sheets in the division, and former goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski won the golden glove alongside Brentford's David Raya.

Rowett took Birmingham City from relegation candidates to playoff contenders in his first spell in charge at the club. He led Birmingham to 7th position in the Championship in the opening half of the 2016/2017 season before being sacked and replaced by Gianfranco Zola, much to the displeasure of the fans. He would go on to lead the side to two wins in 24 matches before being sacked, with Birmingham finishing just two points shy of the drop that season. Talk about a harsh dismissal.

The appointment of Rowett would ensure that his side puts in an effort for 90 minutes, not just the first two or three. Though it may not be all flicks and tricks, it will be the push of the reset button that Leicester is after.

pic.twitter.com/1mbbRod7Wz

— No Context Leicester City (@NoContextLCFC) January 25, 2026

The Limitations

Alongside the good, there is the not-so-good surrounding this potential appointment. Rowett joined a [Stoke City]((https://footballpark.com/football-blogs/milan-smit-why-he-could-turn-this-team-s-promotion-dream-into-reality) side that was in a similar position to Leicester, having just been relegated from the Premier League and seeking an immediate return. Stoke even paid a compensation fee to Derby to secure his services after he led the Rams to a sixth-place finish in the Championship. Though expectations were high, Rowett lasted just eight months of his three-year contract, leaving Stoke sitting in 14th after managing just eight wins in 26 league matches.

Leicester are expected to be competing for a return to the Premier League. They have a squad packed with quality and a strong academy system, but appointing a manager who has previously struggled in a similar role feels like a significant risk when trying to meet those ambitions. That said, Rowett failed to deliver on his promise of achieving the playoffs at Millwall, having set out a three-year plan that ended with the desired goal of promotion.

Instead, the Lions established a reputation as the 'nearly team' in the Championship, delivering 8th, 11th, and 9th-place finishes during his time with the club. Despite working on a lesser budget compared to most clubs in the division, many viewed this as an underachievement, and his time came to an end with the club via mutual consent.

Overall Verdict

Leicester fans are likely to have mixed feelings about Rowett as the right choice for the role. His track record suggests he could bring much-needed stability during a period of uncertainty, which might help temper the high expectations of the club’s supporters. It’s a full-circle moment reminiscent of when fans were booing former manager Enzo Maresca despite the team sitting at the top of the table and now having to contend with being Championship mediocrity. While it remains to be seen whether Rowett will be chosen from a long list of potential candidates, Leicester would be taking a measured gamble with his appointment.