The appointment of Gary Rowett as the custodian of Leicester City's uncertain future carries a poignant irony. As a former defender for the Foxes, he possesses a natural affinity for the Filbert Way faithful. Yet his arrival is shadowed by his own recent, biting assessments of the club’s hierarchy.
​Since the euphoric crescendo of the 2021 FA Cup triumph, the stewardship of the King Power International Group and director of football Jon Rudkin has faltered dramatically. The subsequent erosion of the East Midlands outfit's Premier League status and the currently messy EFL Championship malaise represent a spectacular fall from grace.
Rowett was undeniably right to criticise this institutional decay while in the pundit's chair. However, shaking hands with the very architects of that decline necessitates a certain degree of professional awkwardness.
What Gary Rowett actually said about Khun Top (Leicester City chairman Aiyawatt srivaddhanaprabha) and Jon Rudkin
Most damning was the 51-year-old's previous assertion regarding the LE2 club's "poor, poor management". A remark that surmised a 'chaotic chemistry' capable of dragging a former champion toward the abyss of the third tier.
​The inevitable reckoning arrived during the pre-match press conference for Saturday's high-stakes lunchtime fixture with Norwich City; it's just a surprise questioning took so long. Rowett was quizzed by the ever-baying media, eager to juxtapose his past candour with his current employment.
Brushed it off
The Englishman navigated the inquiry with the pragmatic poise of a man aware that survival (both his own and the organisation's) now depends on the very board he once dissected. See below:
"It was more a generic comment rather than about individuals really. I haven't had to clarify that and think people will see it for what it is and we move forward."Gary Rowett - BBC Sport
Notably, the investigative thread connecting Rowett's recent critique before his new role were first connected by this very outlet. Approximately a week ago, the potential friction was identified in a piece titled: "New Leicester manager criticised Foxes owner & Jon Rudkin recently".
"Rowett's task for Sky Sports or Birmingham Live: outlining a litany of errors that led the Foxes into a truly existential mire. Subsequently, in a twist of The Thick of It proportions, he has been handed the keys to the very disaster he so eloquently deconstructed."FoL
As the Blue Army prepare for the Canaries' visit, the tension between past words and present duties is hopefully on ice. It would not be productive for crossed wires to remain the subtext for the remainder of season.