AdminGary Rowett has made his strongest case yet to remain in charge of Leicester City, insisting he could be “exactly what the club needs” as attention turns to a pivotal managerial decision.
The 50-year-old concluded his 14-game spell on Saturday with a 1-0 victory at Blackburn, his second win during a short-term appointment that ultimately ended in relegation to League One.
Leicester must now decide who will lead them into only their second campaign at that level, with Rowett positioning himself as a contender despite overseeing the drop. He described the situation as a “fantastic opportunity” and stressed the importance of bold leadership during a significant rebuild.
“I see a fantastic opportunity here,” Rowett said. “There’s going to be some big decisions. It’s going to need someone who is brave enough to make those decisions.
“This team needs to look very different, the culture needs to look very different. But it’s a great opportunity so of course I would like that opportunity.
“But what’s more important is the club getting it right, because it’s a fabulous football club.
“I’ve enjoyed the 14 games. It’s been tinged with frustration and disappointment that we’ve played well in a lot of those games and lost four of them. We shouldn’t have lost that. We should have won a lot more. But it’s easy to say that.
“It’s important the club get it right, whatever decision that is. But of course I’d like this opportunity to rebuild this. I think I could be exactly what the club needs.”
Rowett collected 14 points from his 14 matches and believes a lack of cutting edge proved costly.
They showed more conviction at Ewood Park, where Harry Souttar impressed on his return.
Rowett said: “If you look at the games, we’ve conceded silly goals. They were almost comical at times. You can’t win games of football with that.
“We created the second most chances over the last 14 games but if you can’t take those chances, you’re not going to win games of football. That’s been the biggest frustration.
“The first half was a bit of us in the 14 games. We looked nice, we looked good, we were comfortable on the ball, we build well and get into good areas, but in both boxes we’ve lacked that killer instinct that someone like Harry Souttar has.
“Even our corners he’s getting his head on everything, so you can see the difference he potentially would have made.
“But there’s no point crying over it now. It’s nice that he’s back. He’s had a long period out of the game so it’s nice that he can play the last two games. Now he’s got a big summer with Australia. It’s really nice for him, he deserves it.”
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