The Blue Army's collective exasperation was palpable as the team sheets circulated before Leicester City faced Bristol City. A wave of social media vitriol, antipathy and terrace grumbling met Gary Rowett's decision to omit Harry Winks, Patson Daka, Jamaal Lascelles, Ricardo Pereira and Divine Mukasa from the starting XI.
To the uninitiated, it felt like a voluntary disarming. A reckless gambling of momentum by leaving the side's stoic and creative pulse, not to mention veteran stability, on the cold upholstery of the dugout.
​Yet, as the first half developed, it became evident that Rowett currently values the grim utility of steel over the seductive shimmer of flair. One thought is that he has no room for irresponsible 'luxury players' in a scrap where the margins are dictated by sweat and structural integrity.
City are now making undeniable strides under the gaffer; a man who is increasingly likeable and, candidly, far more tactically astute than this writer in particular initially credited him. Rowett's pragmatism is not a lack of ambition, but a calibration of it.
But why were Leicester City stars left out?
​In the midst of two quickfire, testing fixture in an unforgiving schedule, the decision to rotate was, in hindsight, inspired. The 51-year-old orchestrated a quiet masterclass: displaying a profound confidence in the depth of his squad. The Robins commentary certainly backed the squad strength sentiment.
By weathering the initial storm with a fresh, robust, physical lineup, Rowett set the stage for an early game surge. He knew he had the men to manage the match on the substitute's bench as well.
Introducing four poised, technical, and (in some examples) speedy players into a tiring fray was an EFL Championship masterstroke. He turned a tactical grind into a triumphant display of squad management. Rowett later reflected on the selection gamble:
"Before the game, myself and Callum (Davidson, assistant manager) chatted at length about how it feels, at the moment, we’ve almost got to have two teams, a 60-minute team and then a 30-minute team. We purposely almost left real strength on the bench to then change and being able to bring Patson, Winks, Divine and Ricardo on, it actually changed the game completely."Rowett - LCFC Live