If Liam Rosenior felt he had full confidence from the Chelsea board before Tuesday night’s trip to Brighton, he won’t now. At least, Brighton fans showed some appreciation towards the Chelsea boss.
Going into the clash at The Amex, Chelsea had lost six of their last seven games – the only reprieve being a 7-0 win over Port Vale. For the first time since 1912, Chelsea lost four games in a row without scoring.
Brighton away came next, a tricky game for any side. Let alone a Chelsea team that has been in dismal form. Even ahead of the game, however, the news wasn’t good – Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro both out.
Chelsea continuing to make history under Liam Rosenior… for all the wrong reasons!
It didn’t start well, either. Ferdi Kadioglu scored inside three minutes, prompting Chelsea fans to sing “we want our Chelsea back”. The game ended 3-0 to Brighton, with the Seagulls outclassing Rosenior’s men.
Brighton fans praise Liam Rosenior despite Chelsea defeat
Rosenior finished his career at Brighton as a player, clocking up over 50 appearances for the Seagulls. He helped Brighton reach the Premier League in his second-last season as a player, way back in 2016-17.
Rosenior would then enter the coaching world at Brighton, working as the U23’s assistant manager at The Amex. Now, Rosenior was in the opposite dugout for the first time, suffering a 12th loss in his 23rd game.
Brighton & Hove Albion v Chelsea - Premier League
Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images
The away fans turned on Rosenior; the sympathy is gone. Throughout, Chelsea fans made it clear that their opinion of Rosenior had soured. Yet, Brighton fans showed a touch of class towards their old player.
With Brighton leading the game 2-0 after Jack Hinshelwood – a target for Chelsea – had scored, Brighton fans sang: “Liam Rosenior, he’s one of our own”, according to Sky Sports’ live coverage of the game.
Liam Rosenior’s future as Chelsea manager is now in real doubt
Before Tuesday night, there was still an element of sympathy towards the former Strasbourg and Hull manager. Some have become fed up of Rosenior, but some still feel that blame lies with the hierarchy.
Chelsea fans, if Liam Rosenior was sacked before the FA Cup semi-final, who would you want to see in charge?
Brighton & Hove Albion v Chelsea - Premier League
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
That changed on Tuesday night. This was not just a defeat to a good Brighton side, this was Chelsea’s players refusing to put a shift in. They downed tools, refusing to run for their relatively new manager.
While Champions League qualification is now off the table, the chance to finish in Europe and win the FA Cup remains a possibility. Yet, this group of players isn’t playing for their manager anymore, right now.
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