Wayne Rooney has pointed to his own decorated history under Sir Alex Ferguson to defend Liam Rosenior’s relaxed approach at Chelsea, insisting that the same training ground laughter currently being criticised was a big feature during Manchester United’s greatest triumphs.
Despite his positive start to his Chelsea career, Liam Rosenior has had plenty of critics.
Jamie Carragher compared Rosenior to Graham Potter for the way he acts, questioning whether he’s putting on an act at a big club like Chelsea.
His record speaks for itself. That’s eight wins, one draw and two losses in his first 11 games, which even puts Rosenior level with Thomas Tuchel’s incredible record.
And Wayne Rooney has even compared one thing he does to Sir Alex Ferguson.
Jamie Carragher wonders whether we are seeing another Graham Potter at Chelsea 🤔
Thoughts?
Jamie Carragher compares Graham Potter to Liam Rosenior at Chelsea
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Wayne Rooney defends Liam Rosenior’s banter with the Chelsea players
Speaking on The Overlap, Jamie Carragher and Wayne Rooney were on the topic of whether Liam Rosenior is putting on an act with his public moments, you see joking around with Chelsea players.
“So that happened a lot with Sir Alex Ferguson. That happens with every manager. We used to have banter all the time with your managers. Then when it comes to work, you work.”
There have been multiple instances in which Rosenior has shown his personality in public. Most famously, the incident in which he told Arsenal off for encroaching into Chelsea’s half.
Also, the moment with Joao Pedro where he stands next to him and winds him up, as well as when he ran into Cole Palmer.
Would you start Sarr against Burnley, and who does he replace?
Liam Rosenior and Sir Alex Ferguson’s conduct
Liam Rosenior’s choice to prioritise banter and a relaxed culture at Chelsea is far from a lack of discipline.
Wayne Rooney, who thrived under Ferguson’s specific brand of man-management, argues that the legendary Scot used laughter and community, famously even allowing the squad to eat chips or pulling pranks on staff, to act as a pressure release.
By mirroring this approach, Rosenior is stripping away the tension and fear of failure that was seen at times under the previous regime. Just as Ferguson was brave enough to trust a young “Class of ’92” in high-stakes matches, Rosenior is using his approachable style to build a similar siege mentality.
He understands that for a 20-year-old like Mamadou Sarr to perform at a world-class level, the training ground must feel like a place of trust rather than a classroom of fear.
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