Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior has come under increasing pressure in recent weeks.placeholder image
Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior has come under increasing pressure in recent weeks. | AFP via Getty Images
Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior has come under increasing pressure after a concerning run of results
Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior is still at the start of his Stamford Bridge project but has seen pressure begin to ramp up already after a tough run of four straight defeats.
The Blues lost convincingly in both legs to find themselves dumped out by European champions PSG in the Champions League last 16, while league defeats to Newcastle United and Everton saw them lose major ground on the top four. With five Champions League places expected to be given to English sides for next season, there is only a one-point margin to make up on fifth-placed Liverpool after the international break, with Manchester United and Aston Villa increasing their lead over the faltering pair last weekend.
There have already been whisperings of whether Chelsea could sack Rosenior after their recent run of results – with a Premier League rival already reported to be considering the Blues boss to take over at their club if his time at Stamford Bridge does go south.
Rosenior emerges as managerial target for Crystal Palace
According to reports by Football Insider, Rosenior is a long-term target for Crystal Palace and the south London club remain interested in bringing in the 41-year-old to replace outgoing manager Oliver Glasner at the end of the season.
This is viewed as dependent on Rosenior being sacked from his role at Stamford Bridge, but the Eagles are ‘keeping tabs’ on his situation and keeping a watchful eye over goings on in west London, in case the opportunity were to arise for them to swoop and get their man. Glasner is expected to depart Palace when his contract is up at the end of the season, while Rosenior has been admired by the club hierarchy since before he replaced Enzo Maresca at Chelsea. The former Strasbourg and Hull City boss could be offered a ‘quick return’ if he were to lose his job at Stamford Bridge.
Former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider: “Obviously it seems like Liam Rosenior is under a bit of pressure. If he was to be sacked by Chelsea, he’s somebody Crystal Palace will be looking at, because they’ve been long-term admirers since before he came to Chelsea.
“The people I speak to at Hull City speak very, very highly of him, the way they played under him, the organisation, the way he interacted with his players. Everything about him as a manager, I’ve heard nothing but praise about until he’s gone to Chelsea and results maybe haven’t been as they’d have hoped.
“So from a Crystal Palace perspective, those are good signs, because he was highly rated in France as well and there are people at Palace who like him. If he was to leave Chelsea, they’d be alerted to that and he’s somebody I’m sure they would be looking at as an option to replace Glasner. It’s certainly something Palace will be keeping an eye on.”
Rosenior ‘safe’ at Stamford Bridge this summer - reports
Despite this, reports suggest that Rosenior’s job at Chelsea is safe for now. The Telegraph reported earlier this week that the Blues boss will remain ‘secure’ in his role even if the Blues fail to qualify for the Champions League, with a formal review over his performance not set to go ahead until summer 2027.
The only circumstance in which this could change is if Chelsea ‘implode’ over the final weeks of the season, but there are ‘no expectations’ of that happening inside the club. It appears, therefore, as though Crystal Palace will be disappointed in their pursuit for now - but they will continue to monitor the situation, as per reports.
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