Mea culpa. During initial assessments of Gary Rowett's tactical blueprint at King Power, the rhythm of his baton was misread. Presuming a mandate of antiquated, aimless defensive clearances and constant turnover of possession was a miscalculation. In actuality, that strategy was more likely born of defensive panic; the reality is actually more sophisticated.
The City gaffer does indeed crave a more cultured methodology; he seeks surgical defending and advancement over the sledgehammer. This is not illuminated by the rugged interventions of Okoli so much, but by the burgeoning composure of Ben Nelson, whose grace under pressure mirrors the manager's refined vision.
Rowett has pivoted, or perhaps merely clarified, that his Leicester side must possess the ball with purpose rather than discarding it like a burden. The following transformation was, indeed, undeniable.
The 52-year-old has galvanised a once-porous rearguard, finally shattering that unbearable, haunting streak of conceding that threatened to define an entire campaign. Yet, while the foundation is set in stone, the vanguard is rediscovering its spark.
There is a newfound potency in those who were previously dismissed. For two examples: Jordan Ayew and Luke Thomas, once maligned for their inconsistency, operated with sharpened edges versus Bristol City.
Gary Rowett's Leicester City!
​The recent triumph over the Robins was an essential catalyst; a victory that transmuted skepticism into song. The LE2 terraces resonated with chants for a man (and his faithful, former Fox assistant Callum Davidson) who understands the weight of the crest he once wore.
Rowett is no mercenary, to contridict this very outlet: he is viscerally invested in this club's literal and perceived plight. In a moment of raw, unvarnished candour, he admitted that he would be an "idiot" to suggest this connection means nothing.
"I’d be an idiot to say it doesn’t mean anything to me. Of course it means something. It means we’re doing a lot of the right things on the pitch, which is all I’m bothered about."Rowett - Leicester Mercury
The Englishman has played his way into the Blue Army's collective hearts. How? By acknowledging that the Foxes badge is never just business - it is a blood bond.