The pressure is mounting on Liam Rosenior’s shoulders and while the international break came at the right time, the Chelsea manager will not have wanted to enter it losing four games on the bounce.
Two consecutive defeats and an 8-2 humbling to PSG highlighted Chelsea’s many weaknesses. Their inability to defend, the gaps in midfield, their missing personnel, the difficulty in sustaining attacks.
It highlighted Chelsea’s lack of leadership and experience at centre-back, and the need for a new man between the sticks. It got worse in the Premier League too, losing to both Newcastle and Everton.
Chelsea are miles away from what fans expect to see from their side, and Todd Boehly needs to admit it is his fault. But Boehly won’t leave, the players don’t get sacked. It will be Rosenior who loses his job.
You are Liam Rosenior: What is ONE change that you would make during the international break?
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So, should Chelsea sack the current manager after just 19 games? Well, Chelsea icon Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has given his opinion during an interview with Football London over the weekend.
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink defends manager Liam Rosenior
Rosenior has now lost seven games in the 19 he has endured as manager. Graham Potter lost seven of 19 matches and was sacked 12 games later. Rosenior then needs wins, or he will find himself out of a job.
Boehly has had eight different men in the dugout since taking over in 2022, including interim spells. He has shown he will sack managers if he deems it necessary. But Hasselbaink feels Rosenior needs time.
Speaking to Football London, Hasselbaink said: “I think he’s good enough. “He knows his football, but, as I said, it’s a result-based game. Did the club think that Maresca was going to go when he did?
Everton v Chelsea - Premier League
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“I don’t think they did. Were they ready for that? I don’t think so. They’ve given, very bravely, somebody like Liam the job. When you do that very bravely, you need to give him all the chances to succeed.
“You really need to give him all the chances to succeed and give him all the time. If things are going a little bad, or he has a bad spell, you need to give him time because everybody is going to get that.
“You need to take as much pressure away from him. I don’t know if that is possible, but internally, you need to really make him feel and know that he’s the man, and he’s going to go nowhere,” he added.
“That’s the only way I think he will succeed. But I do think he has got the ability. He knows football. Tactically, he’s okay,” Hasselbaink summed up during an interview with Football London, on Rosenior.
Ultimately, Hasselbaink is right. Rosenior deserves time. He has not been given a summer, a pre-season or time to work with his players. Whether he will be given the time Hasselbaink says, is another argument.
What Chelsea’s hierarchy currently feels about Rosenior
There have been differing reports. Fabrizio Romano said that Chelsea would review Rosenior’s position as manager if Chelsea fail to finish in the top five and qualify for next season’s Champions League.
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Then it was claimed that Chelsea would actually keep Rosenior in a job even if the Blues did not win a place in the Champions League. That is, even if Chelsea could end up recording a massive £300m loss.
More recently, it has been claimed that if results continue in the way they have been, then Rosenior could well be sacked. Ultimately, it feels like a decision will be made on a whim, like signing Marc Cucurella.
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