Rowett was this week confirmed as City's new boss, taking charge of a side that are winless in seven games in all competitions and third from bottom in the table after recently being hit with a six-point deduction.
Leicester were widely tipped to challenge at the top this season after coming down from the Premier League last term, but it's turned into a nightmare campaign for the Foxes.
Rowett will take charge of his first game against Stoke City this weekend before heading for the Riverside on Tuesday night to take on Boro.
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The trip to Teesside will look like a daunting one for Leicester, given the recent form of both sides, but Rowett said: “I’m a big believer in that you play all these types of opponents and games, but you have to really focus on yourselves as well. It’s about doing what you do consistently well.
“Sometimes you can change [your approach] every week to opposition coaches and managers and while you respect the opponent, it’s about what we really want to do well and what defines us as a team and the behaviours around that.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the team. It’s a few days away yet and we’ve got plenty of work to do, but we want to a see a team that is galvanised and ready to go out and do everything they can to try and get a result.”
Rowett, who was sacked as Oxford boss a couple of months ago, added: “It’s very clear to us all what needs to be achieved between now and the end of the season and the work begins immediately.
“Everyone knows the situation that the team are in and why they are there as well.
“It’s important that we tackle that, we take that on board, but I’ve been in the Championship for a long time, I know the division and I’ve been in these positions before.
“It’s also giving the players a clear and direct route out of it and what we need to do to improve results and try and start climbing the table and all feel better about where we are. It’s wanting to tackle these 14 games really positively and try and find a few of the missing pieces.
“Hopefully we can give everyone, including the fans, a really strong end to the season, with a team you are proud of and want to see on the football pitch, a team that gives everything and wants to dig in and hurt when it needs to and suffer when it needs to.
“Also, we know we can play some good football and control games as well. It’s finding the balance of what we need to do and it’s meeting that challenge head on.”
The 51-year-old continued: “We can talk all we want during the week, but ultimately, it’s about what we do at the weekend and in the midweek games. I’m looking forward to the games starting, but also it’s nice to get out there on day one, work with the players and get to know some of them and build those relationships as well.
“First and foremost, it’s a team that we need to find that right balance, the right connection with the defensive side of the game and what’s required in the Championship.
“We also want to get on the front foot, attack games and win games. That’s what this division is all about and the games come thick and fast. You’ve got to move on quickly from game to game but we’ll try and create a real excitement, particularly in the home games.
“You’ve got to show a little bit of resilience; you’ve got to show toughness and a real determination to go and do what it takes to win a game of football. But there’s lots of ways you can do that.
“You can do it by having a lot of the ball and attacking well, but in order to attack well consistently, you need to have the right defensive structure and balance.
“The main message really is, how do you want to finish the season? I think it’s a great opportunity. You can look at these positions with a little bit of trepidation, a little bit of fear, or you can tackle it positively and almost embrace the challenge."