Liam Rosenior said it himself, he could not be happier with Chelsea’s massive win over Charlton on Saturday night. But one player’s attitude might have been a cause of frustration.
While the quality of the opponent was less than it would have been had Rosenior made his debut as Chelsea manager in the Premier League, the potential reaction to a defeat would have been higher.
The stakes were big for Rosenior, after Calum McFarlane confirmed Rosenior had chosen not to take control of Chelsea against Fulham. But, Chelsea ran out 5-1 winners against Charlton on Saturday.
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Even after Rosenior had made eight changes to his side. A brilliant start, with Rosenior’s intensity in training clearly seen on the pitch. But one player’s performance will be playing on Rosenior’s mind.
How does Rosenior get the best out of Garnacho?
Garnacho was given a start on Saturday night as one of eight changes made by Rosenior, and a clear sign that Rosenior is up for the battle of getting the best out of him. But on Saturday night, Garnacho failed.
Alejandro Garnacho of Chelsea talks to the media
Photo by Chris Lee – Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Lapses in concentration when in possession, unable to go past his man, and when he did get half a yard, his crosses or efforts at goal were blocked. The stats, provided by FotMob, made for bad reading, too.
Rosenior’s sides are hell-bent on intensity and graft. But the former Strasbourg manager will have seen Garnacho get frustrated with his teammates and fail to deliver a single defensive contribution throughout.
What Liam Rosenior said about Alejandro Garnacho’s display
Of course, Rosenior was never going to come out in his post-match press conference and slam one of his Chelsea players. But, digging into his comments, you can tell Rosenior found it difficult to praise him.
Discuss: How does Rosenior solve a problem like Garnacho? 📉
Another disappointing display
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Indeed, Rosenior said about Garnacho after the easy win: “I have to say I was delighted with the starting XI. I was delighted with the front three. I felt Ale [Garnacho] kept going in his one-v-ones.”
Kept going he did, kept failing to create chances, also. Chelsea spent £40m to sign Garnacho in a deal that was questioned at the time. The boos from Charlton’s fans say everything; things must change.
The chances are that Garnacho is going to drop out of the side come Wednesday night when Chelsea take on Arsenal in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final. It could depend on Cole Palmer’s fitness.
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