When the full-time whistle blew on Saturday night, Liam Rosenior will have felt relieved. While his Chelsea side deserved to beat Charlton, Rosenior will have known a good start is key.
In complete contrast, Enzo Maresca’s first game was Man City and while Chelsea fans would have liked to have seen their side get a result, a defeat was understandable. Against Charlton, it wasn’t for Rosenior.
The potential of a banana skin and an early FA Cup exit meant the pressure was immediately on the new Chelsea gaffer. Even more so perhaps, after Rosenior committed to eight changes in his first outing.
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Yet, Chelsea cruised to a 5-1 win, with substitutes Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez putting the polish on an impressive performance. It was a display full of intensity and running, and that was no coincidence.
The big standout from Liam Rosenior’s first training sessions
What was impressive on Saturday night, was Chelsea’s press from the front. Marc Guiu got his name on the score sheet, but the thing that caught the eye about the Spaniard, more than his goal, was his press.
Rosenior’s trademark at Strasbourg was his man-to-man, constant running, and high press style. Difficult to immediately instill that into this Chelsea side, given the lack of training and the busy fixture schedule.
Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior gives a team talk during the Emirates FA Cup
Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
But BBC Sport’s Nizaar Kinsella says that the one thing noticeable in Rosenior’s training sessions has been the intensity. Rosenior is getting these Chelsea players to run, and judging by Saturday, it will work.
Not just intensity when without the ball, either. But when Chelsea are dominating possession and under Maresca, things would often stagnate and lead to nothing. More intensity was needed under Rosenior.
The three players to catch the eye for Chelsea against Charlton
Enzo Fernandez, coming off the bench and getting a goal and an assist, is something we know the World Cup winner is very capable of. Similarly, Moises Caicedo played with his chest puffed out, nothing new.
Much, Much better from Jamie Gittens!
Would you hand Gittens a start against Arsenal on Wednesday?
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But the three players that really caught the eye were Jamie Gittens, Jorrel Hato and possibly even Marc Guiu. Gittens deserved to be on the score sheet, winning the free-kick for Chelsea’s second of five goals.
Guiu got his name on the score sheet after plenty of graft, while Hato netted his first while playing in an inverted midfield role, even if his base position was left-back. Huge positives for Rosenior on debut.
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