For too long, Leicester City have sashayed onto the turf with a certain polite restraint. A gentlemanly adherence to the unwritten (as well as written) codes of the game; while their adversaries happily, and figuratively, rifled through their own handbooks of skulduggery - and the LCFC safe.
Sportsmanship is a noble pursuit. However, in the unforgiving, mud-streaked trenches of EFL Championship competition, principle rarely buys passage to the Premier League promised land. Having on-field ethics usually buys a side a one-way ticket to obscurity.
To survive the English football gauntlet, one must embrace a darker, more pragmatic alchemy: winning by any means necessary. But, naturally, without veering into the abyss of outright rule breaking: allowed deception.
Mastering the dark arts is an evolution long overdue on Filbert Way. Of course, the very animal (the fox) that adorns the LE2 club's crest is defined by "high intelligence, territorial behavior, and the ability to thrive in diverse habitats, including urban areas", Google informs.
This biological reality of the Foxes' own mascot serves as a near-perfect manifesto for survival in a league that is as much about psychological warfare and dedication to the moment - as it is about technical prowess.
Gary Rowett takes Leicester City in right direction - opponents look away!
​Since the fiery, chest-thumping days of the Martin O'Neill era, City supporters have lamented a perceived softening of the collective spine. There has been a palpable lack of the 'no matter what' mentality required to see out the grueling winter months of a forty-six-game campaign.
We witness the masters of the craft, like Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, employing permitted histrionics and tactical pantomime to secure trophies. Such antics are swiftly forgotten once the silver is polished, the parade begins and somebody like Jack Grealish is on the mic and on the beers!
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal have perhaps evolved into an even more exaggerated iteration of this maneuvering. Turning the technical area into a theater of the absurd and standing by every cringe-inducing outburst.
While these choreographed dramas may grate on the neutral's nerves, their efficacy is undeniable. The rewards are harvested by their respective fan bases with glee, in spite of criticism.
​The culture shift under Gary Rowett is in evident; extending even to the often chilled air of the dugout. Jakub Stolarczyk illuminated this transformation, explaining that even Leicester's substitutes are now active participants in the psychological fray, ensuring the pressure never relents and the opponent never breathes.
"I don’t want to give away too much but we always take our time with penalties a few days before the game, analyse them and go through them.Stolarczyk - Leicester Mercury
“It’s a decision from the whole goalkeeping union. Everyone has their part to say and then we come up with a decision."
It appears the East Midlanders have finally traded their white gloves for iron fists. Learning that a well-timed delay or a strategic piece of gamesmanship is not a sin, but a necessity.
Even Bobby De Cordova-Reid was criticised for slowing the Bristol City match down. In fairness, the Jamaican employed astute game management. Standing in front of the ball; pushing yellow card rules to the limit for any perceived advantage.
All hail Gary Rowett - a sentence this outlet once thought impossible to scribe. Yet here we are, admiring the bite of a boss who has finally instilled the ability to fight dirty. Treating the ball as a possession, and taking it into the corner, are solid traits.