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‘There’s No Way’—Liam Rosenior Lays Down Early Marker for Chelsea Owners

Rosenior’s predecessor, Enzo Maresca, took on the Chelsea hierarchy and lost his job.

Grey Whitebloom

Liam Rosenior (left) was appointed under the watch of influential co-owner Behdad Eghbali.
Liam Rosenior (left) was appointed under the watch of influential co-owner Behdad Eghbali. / Vince Mignott/MB Media/Getty Images

Chelsea’s freshly appointed manager Liam Rosenior was keen to dismiss the idea that he was simply a puppet of the owners, insisting that “there’s no way” to be a successful coach and not make the decisions for yourself.

Rosenior’s immediate predecessor Enzo Maresca discovered the cost of challenging Chelsea’s hierarchy. Despite overseeing Champions League qualification and two trophies in his only full season at the club, the Italian coach parted company with the Blues on New Year’s Day following a breakdown in relationship with the powerbrokers in west London.

Maresca’s frustrations with the club’s influential sporting directors and gaggle of co-owners reportedly stemmed from a constant need to defend himself—be that his tactics or his player rotation—and a concern that those in charge may not trust him fully. The former Leicester City boss also saw his calls for another centre back last summer and players of more seniority towards the turn of the year fall on deaf ears.

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Having spent the previous 18 months coaching Chelsea’s sister club Strasbourg, where the same structure is implemented alongside an unspoken subservience to the Premier League power, Rosenior has been upheld by some as the perfect company man for BlueCo. The 41-year-old did not agree.

“I don’t think it’s possible to ever be in this job and not be your own man,” Rosenior declared at his first Chelsea press conference, which he prefaced by shaking the hand of every media representative present. “People will see through you straight away.

“I will make the decisions at this 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.”

Rosenior’s Take on The ‘Special One’

Liam Rosenior walking down a Chelsea-themed hall.
Liam Rosenior was still under contract at Strasbourg when he moved to sister club Chelsea. / Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC/Getty Images

Rosenior is not quite the same profile of manager which Chelsea have previously drawn upon.

This is a club which has cycled through the likes of Carlo Ancelotti, José Mourinho and Thomas Tuchel during a period of sustained success under former owner Roman Abramovich. The BlueCo group have pivoted towards a different type of figure, with Rosenior undoubtedly the most understated following spells at Derby County, Hull City and Strasbourg.

The former Brighton fullback did not quite declare himself a special one, but did transmit a calm air of confidence on his media debut. “I’m not arrogant, I’m good at what I do,” he shrugged.

LIAM ROSENIOR. Rosenior Tactics. Chelsea’s Potential Tactics & Team Under New Manager. dark

“In every job I’ve worked, whether as an interim, assistant, head coach, relative to the group I’ve worked with, I’ve been successful. I’ve always wanted to be at a club like this but it’s not about just being here, it’s about being successful.

“Nobody can guarantee wins but at the same time I’ve worked very hard for a long time to try and put myself in a position where I can be successful.”

Rosenior would not be drawn on exactly what that success would look like, but he was confident that this group of players were close to achieving it.

Rosenior: ’I Won’t Limit Limitlessness’

Moisés Caicedo
Chelsea have slowly slipped down the table. / David Watts/MI News/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Rosenior’s first task in charge of Chelsea was a watching brief for Wednesday’s trip to Craven Cottage. The Blues slumped to a 2–1 defeat against Fulham, extending their winless run to five games. With more than half the season elapsed, Chelsea sit eighth in the Premier League table, a yawning 18 points adrift of league-leading Arsenal.

However, Rosenior was keen to point out that it wasn’t all doom and gloom for the Blues. “Hopefully, I can add my own ideas, sometimes a different voice helps, but the players haven’t been far away,” the new boss insisted.

“Man City was an outstanding performance, second half we could have gone on to win the game. Against Fulham, we were down to 10 men for 70 minutes, we’re in the game at a difficult place to go. We’re not far away which is important for the players to know.”

With a focus on nothing more than the next game—Rosenior was quick to write off prioritising certain competitions as “crazy”—the ambitious young coach has been full of praise for the calibre of player at his disposal. “The potential for this club and group is limitless and I won’t limit limitlessness,” he declared.

“With the talent we have and the level of professionalism of the group, the intensity with which they’ve trained the last two days, their engagement to something new, there are really positive signs here.

“I never limit the ambitions of my group. We’ve got world-class players here. We’ve got players who have won World Cups. The lads won the Club World Cup a matter of months ago and I watched that game and they were magnificent against PSG.”

Maresca turned Chelsea from the sixth best team in the Premier League to world champions in the space of one season, yet found himself out of a job six months later. Rosenior has already tried to meet these rampant expectations head on.

“I want to be successful,” he said. “I’m ambitious. I have to make sure we get from where we are to where we need to be and that takes time. I’m not asking for too much time, but you need to make sure you know where your processes are headed.”

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Grey Whitebloom
GREY WHITEBLOOM

Grey Whitebloom is a writer, reporter and editor for Sports Illustrated FC. Born and raised in London, he is an avid follower of German, Italian and Spanish top flight football.

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