Will Leicester City avoid relegation? The EFL Championship table since Gary Rowett was appointed | OneFootball

The Championship table since Leicester City brought Gary Rowett in to replace Marti Cifuentes and Andy King in February...

Gary Rowett took permanent charge of Leicester City almost exactly a month ago, following Andy King's caretaker stint when replacing Marti Cifuentes.

In terms of managers with experience of the Championship, there are not many with as much experience as Gary Rowett. His results and campaigns overall with the likes of Birmingham City, Stoke City, Derby County, Millwall, and Oxford United have had mixed outcomes.

Leicester City are facing back-to-back relegations if Rowett can't turn things around quickly. There are eight league games remaining, including the busy period during Easter weekend in a few weeks. They are 23rd after the 3-1 loss at home to Queens Park Rangers over the weekend.

With Sheffield Wednesday already relegated, it appears that there are five clubs in the mix for relegation. Without their points deduction, Leicester would be above Blackburn Rovers (42 points) with 44 points, but they are behind Rovers and Portsmouth.

West Bromwich Albion are just outside of the relegation zone on 40 points, while Oxford United are inside the bottom three but one point ahead of Leicester's 38 points. In three of the last five games, Leicester will face Wednesday, Portsmouth, and Blackburn on final day.

The Championship table since Leicester City appointed Gary Rowett

Just how much have Leicester improved since Rowett's appointment, if at all? We have taken a look at the table since he was appointed back in mid-February. His first game in charge began just after a 4-3 defeat to Southampton, with Andy King's side having led 3-0.

Evidently, the improvements were not instantaneous, with Rowett drawing the first two league games, and only winning one of his first five in the dugout. However, since that 2-0 win over Bristol City, many had hoped they had turned a corner and were back on track. That was before losing 3-1 at home to QPR most recently.

The table above highlights that Leicester have been performing as a relegation-threatened side, albeit from a fairly small sample size so far. With Leicester sitting 19th since Rowett's arrival last month, the manager bounce has not gone to plan. They were 19th and just two above the drop zone when he first took charge.

However, due to the form of some sides around them, they have dropped into the bottom three. Oxford are seventh over the last few games. Fortunately, Portsmouth, West Brom, and Blackburn have all been in similar form of late. But QPR had just three points in five games prior to facing Leicester, which is certainly a kick in the teeth.

How disastrous relegation could be for Leicester City

There are few tougher assignments in the EFL than attempting to rescue a faltering giant with only a handful of games remaining, but that is exactly the situation facing Rowett now in the last eight games at Leicester. It's hard to argue that Rowett’s immediate task has been fulfilled in instilling belief, organisation, and resilience into a squad that has struggled for consistency.

Rowett’s reputation has largely been built on his ability to steady teams and make them difficult to beat. That pragmatic approach could prove crucial in the closing weeks of the campaign, particularly if Leicester can grind out results rather than chasing perfection in performances.

It's fair to say that, at this stage of the season, survival is rarely about style; it is about finding enough points by any means necessary.

The stakes could hardly be higher. Consecutive relegations would represent a disastrous turn for a club that not so long ago was winning the Premier League, the FA Cup, and competing in European competition.

Dropping another division would not only damage Leicester financially but could also trigger a further exodus of talent, making the road back potentially even longer. For Rowett, the challenge is therefore clear: stabilise the team quickly, maximise these remaining fixtures and give Leicester a fighting chance of avoiding a scenario that would be nothing short of catastrophic for the club.