Chelsea’s next manager is almost certainly going to be Liam Rosenior — a man Wayne Rooney knows well from their time together at Derby.
We are waiting for the official announcement from the club regarding Rosenior.
Chelsea have to wait for Strasbourg to find a replacement before putting the final touches on the deal.
The French outfit are making progress in that regard, most recently entering talks with former Premier League manager Gary O’Neil.
Barring any dramatic last-minute twists, Rosenior will be the man to replace Enzo Maresca, and Rooney has given the decision his stamp of approval.
Liam Rosenior set to be announced as Enzo Maresca replacement ⌛
Liam Rosenior stats at Strasbourg
Photo by Sathiri Kelpa/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
Enzo Maresca at Chelsea:
91 games
55 wins
16 draws
20 losses
Is this a step backwards, or another exciting young manager who will hit the ground running at Chelsea?
👇 Join the debate; share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say
Wayne Rooney is fully convinced by Liam Rosenior
Rooney’s first foray into management came at Derby County, where Rosenior was his assistant.
It wasn’t a dream spell for the Man United legend, with Derby in the midst of serious off-pitch struggles and the on-pitch performances also suffering.
Despite that, Rosenior made a lasting impression on Rooney, who definitely approves of Chelsea’s choice.
He said on a recent episode of The Wayne Rooney Show: “Liam was so important for me. He was incredible in his coaching ability. I was more of the manager and dealing with players and everything. His detail, how he approaches the day-to-day, he’s as good as I’ve worked with.
Strasbourg Head Coach Liam James Rosenior reacts
Photo by Sathire Kelpa/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
“So I learned a lot from him from that point of view and then I think he’s done a great job as a whole. He’s also got a side which you don’t want to cross him as well. That’s important as well. If he goes [to Chelsea], he won’t disappoint. He’s been waiting for an opportunity like this.”
High praise from the Englishman for his old colleague. The strengths he describes sound exactly like what Chelsea want from their ‘training ground’ manager.
Chelsea need Strasbourg to pick up the pace
As mentioned, no official decision will be made until Strasbourg have their ducks in a row.
That would want to happen soon, though, for Rosenior to have any chance at a debut against Fulham on Wednesday.
Which of these players would you drop for Chelsea vs Fulham?
Or would you drop anyone else? Let us know!
👇 Join the debate; share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say
Callum McFarlane did an admirable job against Man City, but it would be far better to have the actual tactics that will be used for the rest of the campaign drilled into the players ahead of a crucial stretch.
It’s not like Chelsea have the most difficult run on paper, but this month will see them compete in every competition, so a slow start could be detrimental to what they can achieve in May.
That’s without mentioning that there are eight teams within a win of the Blues, so more dropped points in the Premier League could put a very different complexion on the task at hand for the new manager.
Hopefully, news from Strasbourg isn’t far off and Rosenior can get onto the training pitch at Cobham and get his ideas across in short order.
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox