Liam Rosenior has been going on about the discipline issues at Chelsea of late, but even he let his own standards slip against Aston Villa.
The decision to drop Andrey Santos and Robert Sanchez was a brave one. But at least Chelsea fans and John Obi Mikel got their wish to see Palmer in the number 10 role.
Chelsea got off to the worst possible start against Aston Villa, as Douglas Luiz opened the scoring after some very average defending from the Blues.
Things brightened up for Chelsea after that, as chances fell to Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer, but the ball just wouldn’t hit the back of the net.
And after all this talk of discipline issues, Liam Rosenior went and set the worst example in the first 10 minutes.
Confirmed XI to face Aston Villa!
Thoughts on Robert Sanchez being dropped?
Chelsea XI vs Aston Villa
Photo by Giuseppe Maffia/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Liam Rosenior booked for protesting to the officials
Just nine minutes into the game, Liam Rosenior was cautioned by the referee for protesting against the Reece James penalty shout that was denied.
Four members of Chelsea staff, including Liam Rosenior, were all in the official’s ear.
This comes just days after the Chelsea boss told his players that they will be dropped if they pick up stupid red cards for dissent, amongst other things.
It may not send the best message about discipline, even if there was some grounds for their complaints.
The Chelsea players won’t take Rosenior seriously
Liam Rosenior’s credibility is currently on a knife-edge as he attempts to instill a culture of accountability in a squad that has racked up a staggering 10 red cards this season. His own yellow card at Villa Park undermines the very discipline he preaches.
In a dressing room full of Europe’s youngest and most impressionable talents, a manager’s authority is built on “do as I do,” not just “do as I say.”
If Rosenior continues to collect cheap bookings for haranguing officials, he risks being viewed as a hypocrite rather than a leader. For a group already struggling with emotional control, seeing their manager lose his composure isn’t a great look.
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