Rowett has certainly solidified the Foxes somewhat - but at what cost?! The defence remains leaky and now hoofs the ball without thought or direction at any moment of possession.
A desperate reversion to the functional over the fashionable. But the Blue Army would likely make the tradeoff regardless.
This renewal of slight defensive shape and, to be fair, continued attacking threat, enabled Leicester City's decent, not decadent, draw at Ipswich on Saturday. Incidentally, you can read about the latest LCFC match here.
​Yet, as the twilight descended upon Portman Road, focus shifted from Rowett's kind of successful tactical austerity to a scene of sheer, unadulterated vitriol. Referee John Busby, the man tasked with maintaining order in this high-stakes EFL Championship cauldron, found himself at the centre of a burgeoning storm that necessitated an approximately eight-man, high-end steward as well police escort to safely traverse the short distance to the tunnel.
Leicester City referee under fire at Ipswich Town
​The source of this hostility was a series of pivotal decisions that left the home support feeling injustices. In a match where the margin between triumph and a mere point was razor-thin, Busby's refusal to grant the Tractor Boys a late penalty (after Hamza Choudhury appeared to unceremoniously bundle Cedric Kipre over in the area) ignited a powder keg.
"And Busby, who has presided over 15 Championship games this season, was joined by his assistants as they were escorted back to the dressing room by eight members of security as new footage shows the referee surrounded by staff donning fluorescent jackets."TalkSPORT
The subsequent admission from PGMOL that two penalty errors were indeed made has only served to sharpen the knives of the aggrieved. That revelation is also a worry; City's point is safe irrespective.
​However, as the final whistle blew, the home atmosphere became toxic. Fuming fans and livid players converged, their indignation so palpable that the 'thin blue line' became a physical necessity.
It was a stark reminder that in the unforgiving theatre of the English second tier, a single missed whistle can transform a sporting contest into a volatile confrontation. One requiring the heavy hand of law and order.