Chelsea are busy preparing for their FA Cup tie with Championship outfit Charlton Athletic on Saturday night, with new boss Liam Rosenior set to be in the dugout for the very first time. Ahead of the all-London encounter, clips of the Englishman's training sessions have emerged – and fans have been quick to react to the footage.
London-born Rosenior has joined the west Londoners on a five-and-a-half year contract (with the option for a further 12 months) after Enzo Maresca was relieved of his duties recently, and he's built a reputation as one of the brightest young coaches on the continent.
A former player himself, Rosenior – who turned out for the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion, Fulham and Reading during his career – turned to management after hanging up his boots, starting off as a caretaker manager at Derby County. Spells at Hull City and Strasbourg followed before he recently landed the biggest job of his career to date.
Fans React to Clips of Rosenior's First Training Session
Strasbourg head coach Liam Rosenior watching on from the touchline
Arriving from Strasbourg, the 41-year-old will be tasked with leading an expensively-assembled squad into the top four following Maresca's departure. Before any Premier League action, though, he'll be tasked with beating Charlton in the FA Cup and then London rivals Arsenal in the League Cup four days later.
Ahead of Chelsea's trip to Valley on Saturday, the club have posted some clips from their pre-FA Cup training on their official channels. Loud and proud from the side, Rosenior was in full voice when shouting instructions to his players – Brazilian duo Joao Pedro and Estevao, in particular.
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"Stay calm, well played, stay calm," Rosenior echoed after the clip showed him up, close and personal with Pedro. "Joao, Joao, Joao - back in! Back in! That's the moment, that's the moment," he then bellowed as it looked as if he was telling the Brazilian striker to help defensively.
Taking a more hands-on approach, Rosenior whistled for the end of the session before the clip showed him in conversation with Estevao, who is commonly admired as one of world football's best young talents. A positive-looking team talk then ensued... but what are fans saying about the footage posted by the club?
“Just from the first session today, he’s clearly focusing initially on the lack of counter press when we lose the ball high. Pretty much every clip was him stressing the timing of the press from the front line. Something that characterised his time at Strasbourg," one wrote.
“Nothing beats the energy of a ‘Day 1’ under a new boss. You can tell the intensity has already shifted just by the body language in this clip.”
Excited by the young manager's arrival in west London, another commented: “Liam Rosenior has already noticed Pedro Neto’s nonsense, Joao Pedro’s lack of tracking back and Estevao’s quality. We could be onto something here." A third fan said: “I think he has the aura…. I hope he performs well.”
Others, however, were less convinced by his methods, as one wrote: “If I listened without the video I would swear it’s Sunday League.”
chelsea rosenior
“I still don’t believe he’s the right man for the job, time will tell though," one added before a final fan insisted that sacking an attack-minded manager in Maresca and replacing him with Rosenior, whose ideas resemble that of Jose Mourinho, was the wrong decision. They wrote: “Someone who was sacked for lack of attacking football, we are back to Mourinho boring….”
Why Chelsea Opted to Appoint Rosenior
Todd Boehly
Maresca's departure came as a bit of a shock given the Italian, widely regarded as one of the best managers in world football, led the Blues to Europa Conference League glory at the back end of 2024/25 and then beat Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup over the summer. A run of poor results and behind-the-scenes issues, though, ended his stewardship.
Back at square one, Rosenior quickly became the primary target for the Stamford Bridge higher-ups, but Oliver Glasner of Crystal Palace and Bournemouth's Andoni Iraola were also in the early running for the vacant post.
According to GIVEMESPORT's Ben Jacobs, Chelsea were impressed by Rosenior's personality and were of the belief that his leadership skills are well-suited to the current squad.
Liam Rosenior – Managerial Statistics
Club
Chelsea
Strasbourg
Hull City
Derby County
The report also suggested that Rosenior's playing style is similar to Maresca's, thus allowing the Chelsea players to transition with very few hiccups. In the past, the Englishman's teams have operated in a controlled manner and, during his spell in France with Strasbourg, he proved that he could build connections and chemistry, both on and off the field.
All statistics per Transfermarkt – correct as of 09/01/2026