Liam Rosenior responds to speculations of him being 'BlueCo yes-man' at Chelsea
In this story:
Liam Rosenior insisted that he is perfectly happy with his role as the Chelsea head coach within the club structure amid speculations that he is a yes-man of the hierarchy.
Chelsea's previous head coach, Enzo Maresca, left the club on New Year's Day after a reported power struggle between him and the club's hierarchy.
An earlier report suggested that Rosenior has been "warned" that at Chelsea, head coaches are dispensable and the boardroom's decisions are final.
Obviously, these reports generated even more speculations that Rosenior was chosen to succeed Maresca because the club hierarchy were looking for an agreeable figure in charge of the first team.
The former Strasbourg boss made it clear that these rumours did not escape his attention. He also clarified that he remains the footballing decision maker at the club.
"I don't think it's possible to ever be in this job and not be your own man," Rosenior insisted when speaking about the rumoured limited say that a Chelsea head coach has at the club during Friday's press conference.
"People will see through you straight away. I will make the decisions at this football club. That's why I've been brought in.
"I understand. I'm not an alien. I know what's being said in the press.
"But there's no way you can be successful as a manager if you don't make the decisions for yourself.
Straight to work. 🫡 pic.twitter.com/ZekNMeFZS5
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 8, 2026
"The great thing for me is I've experienced working in this setup.
"The guys have been nothing but supportive for me at Strasbourg. We've had huge success at that club from where the project started. And I intend to work exactly the same way here."
In fairness, regardless of how good a tactician a head coach is, they will always have to be able to maintain a healthy relationship with the club executives to make it work long-term.
The BlueCo ownership have decided that they are going to continue with their current project, and Rosenior, or even Maresca, agreed to it when they signed the contracts.
Gerry Crisandy is a freelance writer who has covered Chelsea for many years. His work has been published on The Chelsea Chronicle and Pride of London. He grew up idolising Michael Ballack and is a firm believer in expected goals.