Chelsea were booed off the pitch after being dumped out of the Champions League 8-2 on aggregate by Paris Saint-Germain and Liam Rosenior has questions to answer
Chelsea Manager Liam Rosenior
Liam Rosenior is under pressure after Chelsea were thrashed by PSG(Image: Shaun Brooks/Getty Images)
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Liam Rosenior was forced to respond to fans booing and a star player openly questioning his tactics after Chelsea were dumped out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain. The Blues lost 8-2 on aggregate as PSG ran out 3-0 winners at a fractious Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night.
Chelsea had been level at 2-2 in the first leg, only to concede three goals in the closing stages at the Parc des Princes. Kvicha Kvaratskhelia netted the final two goals in the first leg and effectively settled the tie by taking advantage of a shocking error by Mamadou Sarr in the sixth minute of the second leg.
The away side continued to destroy Chelsea on the counter-attack and added further goals from Bradley Barcola and Senny Mayulu. PSG goalkeeper Matvey Safonov was forced into making some good stops, but Rosenior's side couldn't even find a consolation goal.
Many supporters headed for the exits after Mayulu's strike from the edge of the box in the 62nd minute and Rosenior effectively waved the white flag by taking off key trio Enzo Fernandez, Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer with 30 minutes left. Fernandez's post-match assessment may ring alarm bells for Rosenior after the PSG losses sandwiched a 1-0 home defeat by Newcastle in the Premier League.
"I think we lost control in the first leg," Fernandez said. "In the last 15 minutes, I think they scored three goals. A difference of three goals is a lot in today’s football. We made mistakes, we paid for them, and in football, it’s all about details.
"In the end, PSG took advantage of those opportunities. And well, after that, it was an uphill battle. Obviously, they score a goal in the first five minutes, and in the end, it’s all about details, that’s how football is. Congratulations to PSG because they were much better than us, and I think they beat us tactically."
Rosenior made a positive impact after replacing Enzo Maresca in January but has hit a rocky patch. They have been dumped out of the Champions League by the defending champions, while one win in the last five Premier League games seen them slip to sixth and lose ground in the race for a place in next season's Champions League.
Enzo Fernandez of Chelsea acknowledges the supporters
Enzo Fernandez was unhappy with Chelsea's approach vs PSG(Image: Steve Bardens - AMA/Getty Images)
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He has won 10 of his 18 games in charge, but the way Chelsea collapsed against PSG has reportedly given the club's hierarchy pause for thought about his long-term future. The 41-year-old signed a contract until 2032 upon arrival in January, yet Sky Sports France reports that high-ranking figures behind the scenes are concerned about Rosenior's ability to lead the side and speculation is growing he could be ousted in the summer.
There was clear unhappiness from the crowd on Tuesday night, with Rosenior's decision to take off Pedro, Palmer and Fernandez at 2-0 in the 60th minute met with boos. The sight of the manager handing a note with tactical information on it to Alejandro Garnacho in the 85th minute, with Chelsea staring at a six-goal deficit, did not go down well on social media either.
Rosenior defended his decision to withdraw his key attackers and asked if he was concerned about the boos which followed the full-time whistle, he said: "No, I think it's two-way. This is a fantastic football club where the fans want success instantly and that's rightfully so for the size of the club.
Liam Rosenior head coach of Chelsea hands a message to Alejandro Garnacho
Liam Rosenior's note to Alejandro Garnacho didn't go down well(Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
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"I have to say, I understand because of the aggregate scoreline in the tie, why fans are frustrated. They want us to win. So, I completely get it and I understood that before I came in. I also want to make them happy and give them the nights they deserve. Not just me, but us as a group, as a team. That was a really, really difficult one to take because of the manner in which we went out this evening."
"This is football. Moments can change the flow of things," Rosenior added. "Two and a quarter games ago, we were away in Paris or coming off the back of Aston Villa, a very good performance. 2-2 in the game, but we don't take care of the moments, we switch off.
"What I have to do is make sure that we get that back on track and that comes from not making mistakes or errors. That's something that me and my staff have already spoken about now, but that's something that I will speak about tomorrow and make sure that we go into the Everton game in a really positive frame of mind."
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