Chelsea fans can take encouragement from past links between Liam Rosenior and two of the Premier League’s greatest ever managers — Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp.
He may not have the troves of experience you would associate with a new hire at one of Europe’s biggest clubs, but Rosenior is a highly-regarded coach.
Rosenior has been warned that he will need to deliver for Chelsea from day one, as is the case with any job of this magnitude.
Part of that will be getting the young squad to buy in — something he has shown an aptitude for since the early days of his career.
Liam Rosenior is unproven in the Premier League 😬
Derby – 12 games, 58% WIN
Hull City – 78 games, 35% WIN
Strasbourg – 63 games, 49% WIN
Are Chelsea making a mistake in bringing him over from Strasbourg?
Liam Rosenior managing Strasbourg
Photo by SEBASTIEN BOZON/AFP via Getty Images
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Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp trusted Liam Rosenior with young talent
With how Chelsea are run as a club, the job of head coach is more similar to a youth-level position than most other high-profile jobs.
That could be why Under-21s coach Callum McFarlane fared so well against Man City.
With many of Chelsea’s star players still in the early years of their careers, it’s important that they have someone capable of guiding and developing them.
That’s Rosenior’s bread and butter, as evidenced by Klopp and Guardiola sending some of their brightest young stars to him on loan.
As Henry Winter discusses writing for Sports Illustrated: “When he was appointed head coach of Hull City later in 2022, it became very clear how other managers trusted him.
“Pep Guardiola sent him Liam Delap on loan. Jürgen Klopp loaned him Tyler Morton and Fabio Carvalho. Guardiola and Klopp knew their youngsters would develop under Rosenior.”
Liam Delap and Liam Rosenior at Hull
Photo by Muhammed Enes Yildirim/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
It may not be the renowned kind of coach Chelsea have hired in the past, but all signs point to Rosenior being a specialist in the areas the club’s hierarchy prioritises.
No promise of change at Chelsea
This hire can be looked at through a couple of different lenses.
Rosenior appears the ideal manager for what the club want, but that in itself has been a serious point of contention among fans in the years of BlueCo’s reign.
Who or what is to blame for Chelsea’s poor form? 📉
Following their 2-2 draw with Bournemouth, Chelsea have now won just one of their last seven games in the Premier League.
Chelsea’s previous seven league results:
Chelsea 2-2 Bournemouth
Chelsea 1-2 Aston Villa
Newcastle United 2-2 Chelsea
Chelsea 2-0 Everton
Bournemouth 0-0 Chelsea
Leeds United 3-1 Chelsea
Chelsea 1-1 Arsenal
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A lack of experienced players is often cited as the biggest reason for Chelsea not challenging further up the table, but bringing in a specialist in dealing with young players doesn’t leave much hope for a change in the recruitment approach.
In fact, the club’s directors have been quite clear that change is not on the horizon.
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