Gary Rowett

[Jock's Hill]

In defence of Gary Rowett, don't forget Martin O'Neill couldn't get a win for toffee when he first came - 12 games wasn't it?

Not comparing managers but I feel sorry for him and for Andy King before him that the players just aren't up to the task in hand and whoever gets to play is on a hiding to nothing within this squad.

Remembering Brian Little when he first came in and had to deal with a fragile squad. He shored up the defence with some solid centre backs (not great players) but they gave the team a back line to allow the forwards to play as they needed. 

[RoboFox]

On 12/04/2026 at 07:57, lcfc_forever said:

His post-match comments seemed to give the impression that some players just aren't listening, and determined to play that passing style instead of taking a more direct route. As many have said, their goal could easily be stopped but it's like they're too nice (or more realistically arrogant, perhaps a mix of the two) and feel that kind of cynical tackle is beneath them. Sad to see Ricardo's decline, he is an impact sub at best now.

 

If one of those early improved performances had led to a win, think he would have got the momentum we needed. But playing well while making stupid mistakes to stop us getting a win has eroded any confidence there was. 

 

Leicester are going down so he surely makes big changes for the final games, selecting with players he trusts - they might be technically weaker but so are the sides around us, and they're putting in far more effort. 

 

Jarrod Bowen made a comment about it's not just about quality, but "but you need grit and desire and a will to win through the whole squad”. That's why West Ham may well stay up, and we'll be playing Crewe next season. 

Didn't he say the players are INCAPABLE of playing any other way? IIRC that's the exact words he used. 

 

Feels like a comment like this has gone under the radar a bit. 

 

****ing mental that this group of so-called professional footballers can't change the way they play. 

 

And it all stems from the thick owner and his obsession with a style that became obsolete a number of years ago because he knows **** all about football. 

[drew]

Ignore

 

 

Edited 13 April by drew

[Blueman1967]

19 hours ago, Richard said:

Daka can't play every minute of every game, eventually Ayew has to come on. Harry Souttar who hasn't played a game for anyone since Boxing day 2024? Sorry to say but the responsibility for a lack of fitness falls on Andy King

Was just using Souttar as an example, it could be any central back, if you were going direct, which we can't do acording to Rowett

[ian__marshall]

10 minutes ago, drew said:

Gone apparently. Probably Rollocks

 

 

Where have you heard that from? Someone mentioned to me at the game that there were rumours he might be gone if we lost, though hadn't heard anything to suggest that could be the case. Would seem stupid given it'll take 4 games to appoint a successor, but then I remembered who we are as a club. 

Edited 13 April by ian__marshall

[chuck'em]

17 minutes ago, RoboFox said:

Didn't he say the players are INCAPABLE of playing any other way? IIRC that's the exact words he used. 

 

Feels like a comment like this has gone under the radar a bit. 

 

****ing mental that this group of so-called professional footballers can't change the way they play. 

 

And it all stems from the thick owner and his obsession with a style that became obsolete a number of years ago because he knows **** all about football. 

Could it not be down to the make up of the squad rather than individual players not being able to work out a different formation? We have no one suitable to play wing back, and now 2 fit centre halves so that rules out going 3 at the back. 4-4-2 could potentially work but you lose any creativity in the middle and the wingers are still not going to support the defence effectively because they're lazy. 

 

We've built a squad with the single aim of playing this shit formation and there's not enough versatility in there to switch it up. 

 

 

[Chelmofox]

Did this emergency meeting happen? 

[Broof]

1 hour ago, chuck'em said:

Could it not be down to the make up of the squad rather than individual players not being able to work out a different formation? We have no one suitable to play wing back, and now 2 fit centre halves so that rules out going 3 at the back. 4-4-2 could potentially work but you lose any creativity in the middle and the wingers are still not going to support the defence effectively because they're lazy. 

 

We've built a squad with the single aim of playing this shit formation and there's not enough versatility in there to switch it up. 

 

 

Oh no not our creativity in the middle

[CruzNoir]

20 hours ago, HarryTheGenie said:

Do you know what he can do. Out them. Drop them. Play kids in their place. 

 

Playing them, refusing to criticise them, moddycoddling them isn't getting improved performances. What has he got to lose, unless he is that useless that he simply cannot see it.

I mean, that all sounds kinda reasonable

 

until you look at the fact that we have just 4 games remaining, there’s no chances he’s dropping players who on paper, and quite frankly in reality as well, should be doing far better than they are 

 

Unfortunately Rowett will move on saying the players were to blame for the relegation, which tbh they are, rather than trying what you suggest and getting relegated for playing the kids etc which will then more be entirely on him

 

he’s not a desperate passionate fan like we are, he’s an employee looking at what’s the best outcome for him when the inevitable happens

 

and if by some miracle, we stay up, he’ll take those plaudits 

 

that my friend, is football, the ugly side of football 

Edited 13 April by CruzNoir

[ClaphamFox]

2 hours ago, Chelmofox said:

Did this emergency meeting happen? 

Zoom was playing up so it has been rescheduled for 12 May.

[Clever Fox]

6 hours ago, Jock's Hill said:

In defence of Gary Rowett, don't forget Martin O'Neill couldn't get a win for toffee when he first came - 12 games wasn't it?

Not comparing managers but I feel sorry for him and for Andy King before him that the players just aren't up to the task in hand and whoever gets to play is on a hiding to nothing within this squad.

Remembering Brian Little when he first came in and had to deal with a fragile squad. He shored up the defence with some solid centre backs (not great players) but they gave the team a back line to allow the forwards to play as they needed. 

You're right.

Bur it's a Back Bone our lot need not a Back line. 

 

That goal on Saturday was embarrassing. 

[Foxin_Mad]

23 hours ago, Richard said:

Daka can't play every minute of every game, eventually Ayew has to come on. Harry Souttar who hasn't played a game for anyone since Boxing day 2024? Sorry to say but the responsibility for a lack of fitness falls on Andy King

Fitness I’d say falls on the manager who was manager for 2/3rds of the season and whose style was relaxed to say the least. Marti Cifuentes his wholly responsible for the fitness of the squad or lack or it, also most the other culture failures are set by the manager of the club. 

[l444ry]

6 hours ago, Jock's Hill said:

In defence of Gary Rowett, don't forget Martin O'Neill couldn't get a win for toffee when he first came - 12 games wasn't it?

Not comparing managers but I feel sorry for him and for Andy King before him that the players just aren't up to the task in hand and whoever gets to play is on a hiding to nothing within this squad.

Remembering Brian Little when he first came in and had to deal with a fragile squad. He shored up the defence with some solid centre backs (not great players) but they gave the team a back line to allow the forwards to play as they needed. 

O'Neill's first ten games were W1 D7 L2 as opposed to Rowett's W1 D5 L4. Martin's first win was the 7th game v Wolves. There are similarities but I wouldn't want to be one of this current bunch of shithouses in the dressing room if they performed like this under O'Neill. They'd be crying in the corner. Rowett's hands are clearly tied as he's having to work with Rudkin and Top's dross and ridiculous playing style.   

Edited 13 April by l444ry

[Leicesterpool]

15 hours ago, tomtom said:

An utterly dreadful manager... even sacked by our relegation rivals. 

 

The fact we hired him says everything about those running our club now

It was either him or sticking with Andy King. Nige could have been a possibility but rudkin didnt wanna know.

[David Hankey]

Changing managers has become more important to this Club than the football.

 

The players must bear a heavy responsibility for the desperate situation we find ourselves in.

[fazzyfox]

Saw a quote about making changes, resulting in being less polished and  pleasing on the eye but tougher and possibly a different formation for the home games.  

Could be Aribo in a wide position instead of an orthodox winger, Hamza in DM, Vestergaard or Souttar up top  ?
I don’t care how ugly it is if the history books show we got the results. Repeating the same thing and expecting different results is not working but I doubt the current mob have the intelligence to adapt to something new and carry it out as intended.

I’d suspect Winks, Mavididi and possibly Mukasa would be out and BDR not an option either. Don’t be surprised if the team sheet stinks the place out but steers us away from thinking we’re Barcelona and addresses some of the rudimentals of championship football.

[FLAN]

4 hours ago, Chelmofox said:

Did this emergency meeting happen? 

Still waiting for Ayew to get out the changing rooms from Saturday 

[turtmcfly]

32 minutes ago, l444ry said:

O'Neill's first ten games were W1 D7 L2 as opposed to Rowett's W1 D5 L4. Martin's first win was the 7th game v Wolves. There are similarities but I wouldn't want to be one of this current bunch of shithouses in the dressing room if they performed like this under O'Neill. They'd be crying in the corner. Rowett's hands are clearly tied as he's having to work with Rudkin and Top's dross and ridiculous playing style.   

 

Not arguing there hasn't been 'guidance' in the past, but is there any evidence that even after King left they're dictating that we must lose playing a specific style?

 

 

[Winstonthedog]

7 hours ago, Jock's Hill said:

In defence of Gary Rowett, don't forget Martin O'Neill couldn't get a win for toffee when he first came - 12 games wasn't it?

Not comparing managers but I feel sorry for him and for Andy King before him that the players just aren't up to the task in hand and whoever gets to play is on a hiding to nothing within this squad.

Remembering Brian Little when he first came in and had to deal with a fragile squad. He shored up the defence with some solid centre backs (not great players) but they gave the team a back line to allow the forwards to play as they needed. 

This is all very true ... at the O'Neil time the fans actually wanted Mike Walker .... O'Neil took loads of grief which I still think he never fully forgave the fans for ... I personally don't believe Rowett is the man for the job ... not a man motivator, plays to safe, but in fairness to him he's only here for a few weeks and the squad he has had dumped on him hardly surprising he has done nothing ... but in hindsight he should have gambled and gone for the younger players ... not those who are on their way out and have given up 

[FLAN]

1 minute ago, turtmcfly said:

 

Not arguing there hasn't been 'guidance' in the past, but is there any evidence that even after King left they're dictating that we must lose playing a specific style?

 

 

Definite guidance this season to lose by playing shit 

[l444ry]

Just now, turtmcfly said:

 

Not arguing there hasn't been 'guidance' in the past, but is there any evidence that even after King left they're dictating that we must lose playing a specific style?

 

 

Just my opinion. Shouldn't have used the word "clearly" but seems to me that Rowett hasn't used this tippy tappy style much before? 

[Clever Fox]

7 hours ago, Jock's Hill said:

In defence of Gary Rowett, don't forget Martin O'Neill couldn't get a win for toffee when he first came - 12 games wasn't it?

Not comparing managers but I feel sorry for him and for Andy King before him that the players just aren't up to the task in hand and whoever gets to play is on a hiding to nothing within this squad.

Remembering Brian Little when he first came in and had to deal with a fragile squad. He shored up the defence with some solid centre backs (not great players) but they gave the team a back line to allow the forwards to play as they needed. 

You're right.

Bur it's a Back Bone our lot need not a Back line. 

 

That goal on Saturday was embarrassing. 

[Foxin_Mad]

24 minutes ago, David Hankey said:

Changing managers has become more important to this Club than the football.

 

The players must bear a heavy responsibility for the desperate situation we find ourselves in.

The problem is the club keeps bringing in totally awful managers to work with players that have the backbone and moral integrity of a turd. 

[Jock's Hill]

3 minutes ago, Clever Fox said:

You're right.

Bur it's a Back Bone our lot need not a Back line. 

 

That goal on Saturday was embarrassing. 

Back line or back bone, it's all basically the same needed.

Some managers start by getting a top goalie, centre back, centre midfield and striker. The spine of a team and then build it up around this line.

[TheLionsRoar]

Millwall fan here in peace.

 

I regularly go on Foxestalk forum (as I do other Championship clubs) but even more so since Rowett became your manager, due to the fact that he was our manager for four years. 
 

In that time he managed to steady the ship after our then previous manager, Neil Harris, left us the first time. At the beginning of his tenure with us, Rowett (along with his No. 2, Callum Davidson) started well. He wasn’t afraid to change tactics, formations or players in a game if he felt it was slipping away from him/the team. It wasn’t until after Davidson left to manage St. Johnstone (having been Millwall’s assistant manager for less than 1 season) that the cracks in Rowett’s management began to show.

 

He stopped changing tactics and he stopped changing formations. What he didn’t do was change the players (sound familiar?) As a club, we were seen as being mostly long ball merchants under Harris, although we did have a few players during that time that could play a bit of football. That continued under Rowett and Davidson, until the latter left, and then Rowett went all defensive. The football became dull and dire and it soon became apparent to the Millwall supporters that it had been the wrong man that had left us. That seemed to be borne out when Davidson won the Scottish League Cup and Scottish cup double in his first managerial season at St. Johnstone.

 

Rowett’s philosophy at Millwall was always “safety first,” in that he would set up his teams defensively to not concede, whilst hoping to nick a goal on the counter attack and get a win that way. That worked many times and even though the football was depressingly dull and boring, in his first season with us (2019/2020) we finished a respectable 8th. In his subsequent seasons he had us finishing 11th (2020/2021) 9th (2021/2022) 8th (2022/2023) and 13th (2023/2024). Last game of the 2022/2023 season we were at home to Blackburn Rovers. We led 3-1 at HT and we were guaranteed a play off spot, only for us to capitulate 2nd half and lose to Rovers 4-3. The following season, we lost away to Norwich, 3-1 and it was the first time our supporters started with the “Gary Rowett your football is s#it!” comments. Two months later Rowett had left us by mutual consent. 
 

So when he joined Leicester I felt confident that he would help shore up any defensive frailties you might have had, and he would install a good work ethic into your players (as he did at Millwall) that would keep you in the Championship. Rowett was Birmingham manager when they were relegated but seemed to bounce back at Oxford, helping them to survive in their first Championship season and I thought he could work his magic again at Leicester City. Sadly it seems whatever Midas touch he had with us (and to a lesser degree with Oxford 1st season) has deserted him at your club, and he doesn’t seem able to rally the troops to mount a survival challenge.

 

I know that the majority of your troubles have been with the board and the players, but you would have thought that having one relegation on your CV (Birmingham) would be incentive enough for Rowett not to want to add a second to it with Leicester City, which is why I am at a loss as to why he isn’t pulling out all the stops to prevent that. He must realise that if he helps to relegate you, his career as a Championship manager will be over. With two relegations to his name, the only clubs that would likely take a punt on him after Leicester City would be those in League 1 and below.

 

Having said all that, you play us in a couple of weeks time, and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if Rowett helps you get your 2nd win under him. Rowett’s Oxford beat us 1-0 at the Den, 1st January 2025 (Alex Neil’s first game in charge of us) and this season he managed to secure a last minute 2-2 draw when we thought we had the game sown up, so who knows? A win against us might just keep Leicester City up!