Liam Rosenior, the newly appointed Chelsea head coach, was present at his former club, Fulham, to observe Chelsea’s recent performance.
Rosenior’s Chelsea tenure began with optimism, but Wednesday’s 2-1 defeat against Fulham underscored the significant challenges that lie ahead.
The 41-year-old described his appointment as “one of the proudest moments of his life”; however, the reality of the situation became apparent as Chelsea fell out of the Premier League’s top five for the first time since August.
From the directors’ box, alongside co-owner Behdad Eghbali and members of the sporting leadership team, Rosenior observed as the team he now manages slipped to eighth place.
He succeeded Enzo Maresca after the Italian manager’s departure following disagreements with Chelsea’s hierarchy. Rosenior joins from French club Strasbourg, which shares the same ownership as Chelsea.
Those in charge were targeted by chants from the away supporters during the match at Fulham, while the Chelsea players struggled on the pitch against their West London rivals.
Chelsea have secured only one victory in their last nine league games and two in 11 across all competitions, a stark contrast to their position as potential title contenders in November.
They must now make up considerable ground to achieve their minimum objective for the season: securing Champions League qualification, which should be attainable with a top-five finish.
BBC Sport examines the challenges Rosenior faces both on and off the field.
Listen: Football Daily – The Debrief
Rosenior has signed a contract committing him to Chelsea until 2032.
The relationship between Chelsea and its fans, while not entirely broken, is undoubtedly strained.
Shortly after Rosenior’s appointment, the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust released a highly critical survey, not specifically targeting the new manager, but focusing on the club’s leadership.
The survey revealed that over half of the respondents doubted Chelsea’s ability to achieve success in the next three to five years under the current ownership. A similar proportion expressed a lack of confidence in the ownership’s decision-making.
Rosenior appeared to recognize the gravity of the situation. In his initial interview with the club’s media, he used the word “win” 14 times, signaling that he understands that restoring the fractured relationship hinges on delivering results.
The former Fulham defender also referenced playing against Didier Drogba, Arjen Robben, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, and Michael Essien, acknowledging the aura of dominance Chelsea once possessed during the Roman Abramovich era. These remarks demonstrated an understanding of the club’s identity.
However, even he may not fully grasp the depth of the fanbase’s discontent. During Wednesday’s match, chants in support of the sanctioned Russian oligarch who transformed Chelsea echoed throughout Stamford Bridge, along with unsavory songs directed at co-controlling owner Eghbali and Clearlake Capital.
A protest is also planned before Rosenior’s first league match against Brentford, who surpassed them in the table on Wednesday, scheduled for the following Saturday.
Rosenior must be aware that he could become a target if results do not materialize quickly. He embodies the qualities that Todd Boehly and Clearlake value: he is young, progressive, and connected to their multi-club model through Strasbourg.
Concluding his first interview, Rosenior stated: “Believe in what is an amazing football club, believe in the players, and when you give energy to the team, you help them win. That’s why we are here. I can’t wait to meet them and do that soon.”
This video can not be played
Fulham’s victory extended Chelsea’s run of disappointing Premier League results.
Chelsea have invested over £1.5 billion in new players since 2022. Despite generating over £750 million through player sales, the team’s performance has not justified the level of investment.
Much of the criticism has centered on the club’s reliance on the youngest squad in the Premier League, with an average starting XI age of under 24. Historically, teams with such young average age have struggled to win the title.
Chelsea have displayed moments of brilliance but often struggle to maintain control and drop crucial points. Former manager Maresca emphasized this issue after the team surrendered a league-high 15 points from winning positions this season.
Rosenior faces similar challenges. His Strasbourg team, with an average age of around 21, lost 13 points from winning positions and managed to win only two of their last 10 Ligue 1 matches.
Sources within Chelsea maintain that the club aspires to be a consistent Champions League participant and eventually compete for major titles. However, to achieve even their minimum objectives, Chelsea and Rosenior must quickly establish momentum.
Chelsea were reduced to 10 men against Fulham when Marc Cucurella was dismissed for a foul on Harry Wilson, who was through on goal.
Wilson subsequently scored the winning goal with a well-taken finish in the 82nd minute.
Caretaker manager Calum McFarlane defended Cucurella, stating: “There’s been a lot made of the red cards this season. I don’t think this one is ill-disciplined. This is football. You get caught one-v-one and Marc is one of the best defenders in the world.”
However, McFarlane expressed concern over the three immediate yellow cards for dissent that followed the dismissal, issued to Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandez, and Tosin Adarabioyo.
“The three yellow cards directly after is something we’ll have to look at, but I would argue that we don’t want that to happen,” McFarlane said.
McFarlane himself was later cautioned for questioning the referee’s decision.
Since the beginning of the 2023-24 season, Chelsea have accumulated 251 yellow cards and 11 red cards, the highest number in the Premier League. They have received five red cards for players in league matches this season, and one more in their remaining 17 matches would equal the club’s unwanted record from 2007-08.
Former manager Maresca had been working to address this issue before his departure.
‘A moving moment’ as Rosenior breaks barriers
‘It means the world to me’ – Chelsea appoint Rosenior
Wilson downs Chelsea in front of new boss Rosenior
Rosenior attended team meetings before the Fulham match and traveled with the squad to Craven Cottage.
His first full training session is scheduled for Thursday. He will then be presented to the media on Friday before selecting his first team for Saturday’s FA Cup third-round game at Charlton Athletic.
In the following week, Chelsea will face Arsenal in the Carabao Cup semi-final, followed by Rosenior’s first Premier League match at home against Brentford.
The Debrief: Semenyo leaves Bournemouth in style, Newcastle score the latest-ever winner and six other PL games
Latest Chelsea news, analysis and fan views
Ask about Chelsea – what do you want to know?
Comments can not be loaded
To load Comments you need to enable JavaScript in your browser