Gary Rowett's tenure at Leicester City has, if nothing else, arrested the freefall with a modicum of inventive stability. His arrival yielded marginal gains, most notably a defensive tightening that birthed a pair of rare clean sheets. Lucky Leicester fans!
There is also a burgeoning, if delicate, sense of togetherness on the pitch. Though this newfound unity remains perilously fragile: as witnessed versus Queens Park Rangers.
Nonetheless, the grander salvation remains elusive; hopefully not for the remainder of the campaign. Goalscoring has scarcely improved; a haunting mental fragility continues to linger over a squad looking over its shoulder at the abyss.
​It is within the realm of selection and strategy, however, that the 52-year-old's tenure invite severe scrutiny. Rowett appears to have fairly majorly contradicted himself regarding his own tactical blueprint.
Did Leicester City boss Gary Rowett contradict himself here?
The LCFC gaffer previously asserted a desire for battle-hardened, experienced players whom he can trust to embrace his dogma in a relegation dogfight. Consequently, the promising Divine Mukasa was axed from the starting lineup; Louis Page found himself demoted to the Under-21s.
"What do we do next? I haven’t got a magic wand. But I need to start looking at players I can trust to do it week in, week out, not once or twice."Rowett - Leicester Mercury
This apparent youth-sacrificing ideology has now seemingly been blatantly undermined by Rowett himself. When juxtaposing his earlier stance against recent claims (that the grave implications of relegation do not influence his tactical decisions) the manager cuts a confused, paradoxical figure.
"I probably don't try to think about that side of it too much, because that then starts to maybe affect your decision-making and maybe be swayed into certain decisions around that."Lancashire Post
​To pivot from a rigid reliance on veterans to disavowing the pressure of the drop reveals a coach trapped in an ideological labyrinth. An unenviable position; Rowett appears potentially bewildered by his own design, caught between the pragmatism of survival and the idealism of unburdened football.
Whether he is bluffing to alleviate the crushing anxiety of the fan base, or genuinely lost in the tactical woods, remains to be seen. In this unforgiving landscape and with a struggling club, does anybody truly know the correct approach?!