Gary Rowett

[dmayne7]

40 minutes ago, Leicesterpool said:

I think too many fans are basing his time at Oxford and reading into that too much. You have to remember Oxford have the weakest squad in the championship as well most likely smallest budget. I did think Pep could not go in there create a miracle. 

And he still kept them up first year. Hardly like they've massively turned it around since either.

 

Totally get people being underwhelmed and not wanting him, but he's basically had 1 job where he outright failed (Stoke, and it's not like they've done any better until this year)

[CrazyKopCorner]

9 hours ago, Donwebbio said:

Clear plan for GR and one i really hope he instills:

 

- organised and committed backline with good spacing between players and using whatever pace he can at fullback (Aluko & VK although KV not fast). 

 

Only Nelson to play out from the back.

 

Play Daka to stretch the pitch.

 

Allow the 3 behind Daka to cook (Mukasa, Mav & Abdul).

 

Most of all, players need to be switched on and focused on the game. A lot of these headless chicken moments, red cards, missed tackles I believe are from not being ready to play, a lack of focus. We need 11 players locked in at 12 30pm tomorrow and then each of the last 13 matches after that one. Let's turn this around.

Great points - I remember back in the day on early kick offs they used to run through set pieces and warm up and focus for the games early in the morning i.e 7 / 8 o'clock 

 

Lets hope he can bring an air of real professionalism as these players have, by and large, been way off of the expected standards of professional footballers. 

 

 

[CL Fox]

9 hours ago, Donwebbio said:

Allow the 3 behind Daka to cook (Mukasa, Mav & Abdul).

What are they making? Chicken kievs and beans?

[Donwebbio]

1 hour ago, CL Fox said:

What are they making? Chicken kievs and beans?

Goals and assists would be good.

[FoxesTalker]

On 18/02/2026 at 23:07, robski said:

I see relegation as a certainty as his or any appointment is too late now.

Its really a question of if he or whoever can get promotion from Div 1

I hope to God I’m wrong but I can’t see an escape route 

The deciding factor will be how this squad responds to Rowett, and whether he’s able to get enough out of them. Unfortunately, there’s enough reason to be doubtful about that.

[BKLFox]

The players we have are the players we have so not expecting to much in the way of change to the starting 11 but what I do want to see is in game management, action not reaction & 5 subs being utilised early enough to make a difference tactically as well as just to keep energy levels up through the team, this is what’s been lacking from those on the sideline.

PS It should go without saying that anyone who is picked should be crawling off with exhaustion when times up & ooh yes Ayew should not be at the ground in any capacity, but I’ll say it just to ensure.

 

[marketharboroughfox]

On 18/02/2026 at 23:07, robski said:

I see relegation as a certainty as his or any appointment is too late now.

Its really a question of if he or whoever can get promotion from Div 1

I hope to God I’m wrong but I can’t see an escape route 

It really isn't a certainty. Cov beat West Brom tomorrow, we beat Stoke and we're already out of the bottom 3.

 

If we're in this same position with a couple games to go sure, but all to play for still.

[HankMarvin]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=slSKNREqeOE&pp=ygUMUm93ZXR0IHRpcHB5

Edited 21 February by HankMarvin

[Muzzy_no7]

Much better, anyone saying otherwise has their head in the sand. 
 

We deserved to win that. 
 

(I’m fully aware the first half was pants)

[Tuna]

I think he keeps us up. We'll be much better defensively once he has got us organized. Lascelles, James and Fatawu to come back.

 

Play like we did in the second half and get better defensively and we stay up.

[BrilliantFox]

Just now, Tuna said:

Lascelles, James and Fatawu

Crazy to think we missed our best 3 players today and yet we still battered Stoke, Luke Thomas giving them free points.

[chuck'em]

He's had 2 days with these players and has got them showing more fight than they have for 2 years. Disappointing result but plenty of positives in that

[StanSP]

4 minutes ago, chuck'em said:

He's had 2 days with these players and has got them showing more fight than they have for 2 years. Disappointing result but plenty of positives in that

They needed a bollocking at HT because that first half showed no fight at all. 

[lcfcbluearmy]

Just out of his depth we clearly need a proper manager

[Bourbon Fox]

8 minutes ago, BrilliantFox said:

Crazy to think we missed our best 3 players today and yet we still battered Stoke, Luke Thomas giving them free points.

Stoke have 10 injuries

Edited 21 February by Bourbon Fox

[Lambert09]

For the first time this season, the reaction to the disappointment of conceding hasn’t been giving up, heads dropped they’ve actually attempted to go and win the game. We’ve  not seen that this season, that comes from the manager. 

[BrilliantFox]

1 minute ago, Bourbon Fox said:

Stoke have 10 injuries

And we're 22nd in the table, yet looked like a team in the top-half.

The difference in quality between our attacking and defending is shockingly high, which is why we've not been winning games.

 

We've scored more goals than 15 teams in the league, its the conceding part we need to sort out.

[StanSP]

Feel like he would have proper got stuck into them at HT after that first half showing. 

 

And the players seemed to respond given the 2nd half showing. 

 

I'd be interested to see any in-depth tactical analysis on what he changed or tweaked. 

 

We seemed to get Mukasa on the ball a lot more and involve our wingers a lot more playing it quicker to them in 2nd half. 

[coolhandfox]

11 minutes ago, lcfcbluearmy said:

Just out of his depth we clearly need a proper manager

Grow up, he has had two days.

[coolhandfox]

Difference between a half decent manager team talk and a Marti one! 

[RoboFox]

Talks well TBF. High energy bloke. I bet he’s a good motivator. Piper telling a story on RL about how Rowett went after him in the dressing room. Might just be what these players need.

 

Edited 21 February by RoboFox

[UniFox21]

7 minutes ago, StanSP said:

Feel like he would have proper got stuck into them at HT after that first half showing. 

 

And the players seemed to respond given the 2nd half showing. 

 

I'd be interested to see any in-depth tactical analysis on what he changed or tweaked. 

 

We seemed to get Mukasa on the ball a lot more and involve our wingers a lot more playing it quicker to them in 2nd half. 

He seemed to stay significantly further forward, stopped trying to do too much with the ball. 

 

Him and Mav really linking up well, disappointing we didn't score more from the opportunities.

[Claudio Fannieri]

29 minutes ago, Muzzy_no7 said:

Much better, anyone saying otherwise has their head in the sand. 
 

We deserved to win that. 
 

(I’m fully aware the first half was pants)

2nd half was much better but we have played well for 45 minutes in so many games this season, however that 1st half was appalling and we could have been 3 down. 
 

Nice to see a good reaction at half time but we have drawn to a an injury ravaged Stoke side and only bothered to turn up for 45 minutes. There are some positives but a long long way to go. 

[Pita]

He’s got so much to do to make a half decent team 

[teblin]

One big tweak, is it was a simpler set up. Not Ricky inverting. Played balls into the channel. But we still controlled the ball 2nd half too. 

Edited 21 February by teblin