Liam Rosenior has revealed he left his new Chelsea team in the hands of Calum McFarlane because he did not believe he had enough time to prepare for Fulham.
Rosenior, 41, was unveiled as the new head coach of the Blues on Tuesday. However, as was the case in the impressive 1-1 draw away to Manchester City, U21s boss McFarlane was entrusted with the squad in the west London derby against Fulham.
The ex-Strasbourg manager could have insisted on being the man in the dugout, but opted to watch his new team from up in the stands of Craven Cottage instead. When explaining the decision, he insisted there would not have been enough time to prepare the team adequately.
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Rosenior, when asked why he chose not to take charge of Chelsea at the Cottage, told Sky Sports: "Just travel. But mainly the fact that Calum did such an incredible job against Man City.
"The performance of the players, especially in the second half, the energy, the intensity, the quality that they played with. They've supported the lads in a really difficult moment in a really good way.
"I flew over from Strasbourg yesterday morning. It's a difficult timeframe for me to get in the tactical work that I need to get into to give the lads the best chance to win. I've got full faith in Calum and the lads to win the game tonight."
The clash against Marco Silva's side is of paramount importance to the Blues. They began the evening only three points away from fourth placed Liverpool, but also only four points away from 14th placed Crystal Palace.
Calum McFarlane, Interim Manager of Chelsea, and Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City, shake hands prior to the Premier League match between Manchester City and Chelsea at Etihad Stadium on January 04, 2026 in Manchester, England
McFarlane secured a credible draw against Pep Guardiola's Manchester City (Image: 2026 Chelsea FC)
This is a difficult time for the former Hull City manager to take over Chelsea. However, he is determined to impose his philosophy on his young Chelsea squad.
When asked about his vision for the Blues, he said: "Every manager has an idea of how they want to play. That's what makes you a coach.
"I have an idea of the way I want to play. It has to suit the players. I think that's one of the reasons why I've been brought to the club.
"I think my style fits the players perfectly, but you have to be able to adapt. In terms of tactics, formations and systems, that's not the most important thing.
"The most important thing for me is intensity, running, spirit, quality and you can do that in many different ways in football."
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Chelsea flag prior the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final Leg One match between Chelsea FC and Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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