Leicester City questioned over process behind Gary Rowett move - 'It makes no sense' | OneFootball

FLW's Leicester City fan pundit has had his say on the club potentially replacing Marti Cifuentes with Gary Rowett until the end of the season.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Leicester City are closing in on the appointment of Gary Rowett to replace Marti Cifuentes, with the 51-year-old out of work since just before Christmas after leaving Oxford United.

The Foxes are facing the possibility of relegation for the second season in a row, but Rowett is in advanced talks to join Leicester and ensure survival in 2025/26. They currently sit 22nd in the Championship.

Leicester's form is poor and their next five games are no less difficult when compared to their relegation rivals, too. However, Leicester are only inside the bottom three due to a six-point deduction.

They also have plenty of quality in their ranks, with Jordan James and Abdul Fatawu impressing this season. There are also numerous ex-Premier League players to call upon, who are capable of far better than they have showcased this season.

The Leicester City verdict on Gary Rowett

FLW’s Leicester fan pundit Louchlainn Martin was asked for his verdict on whether he is the man to keep Leicester up, or if this is a bad move once more from Khun Top and Jon Rudkin.

He said: "So Gary Rowett to Leicester City looks like it's happening. What are my thoughts on this? Well, I've kind of got two ways of looking at this.

"I think, if you look at the profile of manager and the pragmatic football and that he's a bit of a man-manager, then I think it's probably the right decision.

"I think he's probably one of our best hopes at trying to stay up this season and to try to survive relegation. You know, I do think we had to go for this type of manager, rather than a 'project' manager — if you like.

"My real negative about this is that Gary Rowett has been out of a job since December. There is no reason why, if Rowett was a name near the top of the list, why we couldn't have got him two weeks ago.

"Two weeks ago, within days of Marti Cifuentes leaving. It makes no sense. It has taken over three weeks to hire a manager who has been out of work for two months.

"So that is where my frustration is with the situation. We have let four games pass us by. Four games, zero wins, zero draws, four losses.

"You just never know how different that could have been, had we had a different manager in earlier. We could have been outside of the relegation zone. Whereas, as it stands, we are well in it."

Leicester City's 2026/27 prospects if Gary Rowett ensures survival

Rowett kept Oxford up in a similar position last season and previous jobs with Birmingham City and Millwall have been successful in punching above their weight. However, Leicester fans may not be enamoured with the latest link.

On paper, the squad he has to work with is miles better than at least any of the bottom nine in the division — and possibly beyond even that. There's no reason almost any other manager, and a change of voice in the dressing room, can't turn things around.

Cifuentes was surprisingly poor but Rowett knows the division and what it takes to survive. Realistically, Leicester's season should have been much more than this and fighting for promotion.

But survival this season could see a change in fortunes next term, especially with the quality at their disposal. In the short-term, Rowett could be the bridge for the Foxes to get to a point where they can rebuild in 2026/27.