The pressure on Liam Rosenior is massive after being thrown in at the deep end as Chelsea manager. His second game in charge is a Carabao Cup semi-final first leg clash against Arsenal.
The new gaffer has made an impressive start to life as Chelsea manager but on Wednesday night, that gets a lot harder. Gary Lineker and others have been impressed with Rosenior’s work in the media.
Then, last Saturday, Rosenior guided Chelsea to a 5-1 win over Championship side Charlton in The FA Cup, avoiding a banana skin despite making eight changes to his side for the clash at The Valley.
But being a good talker and a win over a struggling Championship side will not be enough to convince Chelsea fans, or players, that he is the right man for the job. Rosenior needs to convince his best stars.
What does Liam Rosenior need to do to overturn Enzo Maresca’s Arsenal curse?👀
The Gunners are nine games unbeaten 😬
Enzo Maresca's record vs Arsenal
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Rosenior looking to get Enzo, Palmer and Caicedo on side
If Rosenior is to get the squad on side and make his players buy into his stewardship as manager, then he will need the best players on side. Well, manager Rosenior has hinted at such in an interview this week.
Speaking to Sky Sports One on One podcast, Rosenior has highlighted the need to connect with the squad at Chelsea while namechecking Chelsea trio Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo.
“Yeah, I’m a human being and the players are human beings. Normally, if you’re Cole Palmer or Enzo Fernandez or Moises Caicedo, they come from very, very similar backgrounds from all over the world.
Chelsea trio Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Cole Palmer speak to the referee during the Conference League final against Real Betis.
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“Something I learnt is probably something that the guys who have been managers here from different countries learn very quickly. Where you come from, it doesn’t matter if you connect with people.
“I want to connect with these lads. When I mean connect, not in like a nice way. I want to push them. I want to demand from them. I want to drive them,” Rosenior continued, discussing relationships.
“That’s what I said in my first meeting. I’m really looking forward to working with them in a long time. I said to them at times, they’re going to hate me because I will push them. I will demand from them.
“But other times they’ll probably, hopefully be happy that I’m their coach. They will hopefully want to run for me and want to fight for me,” the new Chelsea manager added, speaking candidly about his aims.
SCENARIO: Reece James and Cole Palmer are both unavailable for the Arsenal game. What does your midfield look like? Who are you playing in the No.10 position?
Facundo Buonanotte the wildcard?
Cole Palmer and Reece James celebrate during Bayern Munich against Chelsea in the Champions League.
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John Obi Mikel’s warning to Liam Rosenior after appointment
Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has become renowned for asking the hard-hitting questions about Chelsea. Since becoming a media personality, Mikel has often criticised those at his old club.
Following Rosenior’s appointment, Mikel said it was crucial that Rosenior gets Caicedo, Palmer and Enzo on side: “How does Liam Rosenior manage this squad to not lose Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandez, Caicedo?
“These are your spine. You need that spine to be happy with you. You need to drag them along. If he doesn’t do that, he’s going to lose that dressing room, and it’s all going to end before you know it.”
Mikel is likely to start Enzo and Caicedo on Wednesday night as the Blues host Arsenal, but Rosenior has warned fans that Palmer remains a doubt and he won’t play players that aren’t fit, unlike Enzo Maresca.
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