Gareth Southgate has warned that Liam Rosenior is already walking a tightrope at Stamford Bridge, claiming the nature of his appointment has left him in a difficult position at Chelsea.
Liam Rosenior gets an awful lot of stick for a manager who currently has an impressive record of eight wins, two draws and two losses as Chelsea boss.
One thing that hasn’t helped his cause is how popular Enzo Maresca was at Stamford Bridge.
However, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has encouraged everyone to move on and put their full trust in Rosenior and he’s right. It’s hard enough for a manager, let alone one who came to the club with doubts already hanging over him due to being an internal appointment.
Former England boss Gareth Southgate has even realised the extra pressure on Rosenior’s shoulders.
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Southgate appeared on the YouTube channel The Football Boardroom and came on to the topic of Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior.
He seems to think that Rosenior is in an extremely difficult position.
“You know, I think if you go in as a manager on the back foot, that’s hard from the off. I think that’s very difficult position to be in.
“And I think to a degree that’s part of the battle Liam’s got at Chelsea, you know, because he’s an internal Strasbourg appointment. So, as if it’s not hard enough for him, he’s having to deal with that. And how can he overcome all of that?”
Considering the pressure, he’s dealt with things relatively well and Rosenior has already matched Thomas Tuchel’s incredible record of eight wins in 11 games.
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Unfair criticism of Liam Rosenior
Liam Rosenior’s arrival at Chelsea has been complicated by the BlueCo Bridge, a term fans have made for the controversial pipeline with Strasbourg. Because he was an internal appointment within the same ownership group, fans have labelled his promotion as a corporate cost-cutting measure.
This back-foot start means that minor tactical stumbles, like recent home draws against Burnley and Leeds, are immediately met with BlueCo Out chants and accusations that he is merely a yes-man.
Rosenior isn’t just fighting for results, he is fighting to prove he has what it takes to lead a club of Chelsea’s stature.
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