In the high-stakes concert of the EFL Championship, Gary Rowett is increasingly appearing as a conductor finding rhythm amidst the cacophony of a relegation scrap. Actually, the environment is more similar to thrash metal than traditional music at the Albert Hall.
While the 51-year-old's tenure may not yet represent a cornucopia of mellifluous sound, there is a discernable melody emerging from a squad previously out of tune in many areas. The hard-earned point secured at Portman Road against a high-flying Ipswich Town was a performance of gritty resonance.
The latest battle was one that mirrored the "decent" stalemate recently achieved at Middlesbrough. Yet for all the renewed structural integrity, a sense of inconsistency still reigns when one scrutinises the individual contributions across the park.
Leicester City scores and bores as Foxes manage notable parity
According to the Leicester Mercury, the afternoon in Suffolk was a tale of defensive defiance punctuated by moments of individual frailty. The starting XI, evaluated with a critical eye, allegedly performed as follows:
"Luke Thomas: He was committed in the 50-50s and while he didn’t always shut down Burns, he did an admirable job in his full-back duties. He also delivered a wicked free-kick to set up Daka’s goal and won plenty of back-post headers too. He was guilty of wasting one good second-half chance though. Still it was his best performance in a while. 7"The Mercury
​Jakub Stolarczyk 6
​Ricardo Pereira 6
​Luke Thomas 7
​Caleb Okoli 6
​Ben Nelson 6
​Harry Winks 8
​Oliver Skipp 6
De Cordova-Reid 5
​Abdul Fatawu 5
Stephy Mavididi 5
Patson Daka: 6
"Harry Winks: City’s star man. He was not perfect, and did lose the ball when he shouldn’t have done at times, but he was in charge of the match during City’s best periods, gripping back control of the game from Ipswich at times, and making dancing runs through the middle of the pitch. 8"
As you can see, few Foxes stood out in their trip to Suffolk. Although, it is refreshing to see LCFC Live writer Jordan Blackwell be totally honest and candid considering his press pass is always on the line with an organisation like the King Power-led outfit!
The only two standouts were really Thomas and Winks. The latter being the Man of the Match with a pretty good rating. Funnily enough it was City's attacking support line which faltered most.
It must be said that Daka's snap-shot-esque finish was exquisite. Hopefully it isn't too little, too late for him and the East Midlanders at this stage!