While it isn’t official just yet, most signs and reports indicate that Liam Rosenior will be the man to replace Enzo Maresca in the hot seat at Stamford Bridge. The Chelsea squad will be eager to see a new manager come through the door with some players likely to see some improvements in their role and usage while others could struggle to adapt to the new coach and how he tends to utilise his players.
Players Who Could Improve Under Liam Rosenior & Some Who May Struggle
Those Who Could Improve
1. Andrey Santos
The Brazilian had his best season in Ligue 1 with Strasbourg in 2024/25. He was used as an all action midfielder, allowed the freedom to crash the box to take shots and got the ball enough to create for his teammates. He finished his full term in France with 38 appearances across all competitions, nabbing 11 goals and 6 assists.
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Under Maresca, he has been playing but has yet to really find a role that allows him to play his best football. Getting a familiar face in charge could help him unleash his fullest abilities in England.
2. Liam Delap
Another name familiar with the prospective new manager. Liam Delap played under him at Hull City where he was used as a wider focal point. One strength of the Englishman at Ipswich was his ability to stretch his legs and run the channels, often overpowering full-backs or outpacing centre-backs. A change in management could see him go back to stretching back lines as opposed to the limited role he had previously.
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Both Emmanuel Emegha and Joaquin Panichelli have done well at the Ligue 1 team recently, indicating that this is a manager who can get the most out of his number 9’s.
3. Joao Pedro
While the former Brighton & Hove Albion man has been one of the top scorers since his move, he has been quite streaky and often found himself isolated under Maresca’s style. Depending on the system Rosenior implements, he could find a more versatile and free role for the Brazilian, having used a 3-4-2-1 recently at Strasbourg, there could definitely be room for Joao Pedro as an inside forward operating in and around the box.
Who Might Struggle
1. Enzo Fernandez
While there could definitely be some tweaks made from the presumed new manager, most of his systems don’t appear to benefit Fernandez too much. He likely won’t be useful as an inside forward but he could struggle to get as involved offensively if used in the midfield. Enzo Fernandez has gained a lot of benefits from crashing the box and putting away chances but he may not be able to do that as much under Rosenior.
This is, of course, able to change, as we have seen the Englishman switch between a 4-3-3, 3-5-2, and 3-4-2-1 at points depending on who he has available to him.
2. Jamie Gittens
It hasn’t been an easy start to life anyway for the former Borussia Dortmund man, but things could get worse with this appointment. He saw his minutes decrease at the Bundesliga side when Niko Kovac adopted a back five setup and could see the same happen here. He isn’t a winger who can move inside while also not having the physicality or work rate to be a wing-back, meaning he could be left out in the cold just a few months into his time at Stamford Bridge.