Liam Rosenior’s job as Chelsea manager is hanging by a thread after Tuesday night’s 3-0 loss to Brighton, and both Craig Burley and Frank Leboeuf have given their verdicts on his future.
This was not a close-run, hard-fought, narrow defeat against Brighton. It was a dismal showing, men against boys as Brighton eased to a 3-0 win without ever getting out of second gear against Chelsea.
A performance littered with mistakes, half-hearted performances, and a display of shocking attitude. Once again, and for the 34th time in 34 Premier League games, Chelsea were outrun by their opponents.
It’s finally time to drop Moises Caicedo 😤
Moises Caicedo's stats vs Brighton
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Rosenior was brutal in his verdict. He said it was “unacceptable”, calling out his players for a lack of professionalism and claiming three or four players lacked the determination required to secure a win.
Now, Rosenior will be heading to Cobham, worried that he might get a phone call from the hierarchy in the next few hours. Tim Sherwood has already said that the ownership will sack Rosenior this week.
Craig Burley and Frank Leboeuf disagree on Liam Rosenior
The debate has rolled into Wednesday morning. Rosenior, who was handed a contract as Chelsea boss until the summer of 2032, will have heard fans sing about wanting “their Chelsea” back last night.
Certainly, fans have turned on Rosenior, even if some still feel that the true blame lies upstairs. Craig Burley told ESPN that Chelsea should have sacked Rosenior last night and cannot continue with him.
“When you’re a coach, you need the bulk of the players on board to stand a chance. When you come out with the rhetoric he has, suspend World Cup winners, and we wonder why they are playing half-hearted?
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“You can’t rubbish a dressing room and expect results. I do not see any point in keeping Liam Rosenior in this role, while it is spiralling downhill as fast as it is. He’s clearly out of his depth,” Burley said.
But former Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf disagreed with Burley. Responding on ESPN, Leboeuf said that Chelsea need to retain Rosenior until the summer because nothing will change with his sacking.
“We have criticised Rosenior a lot for defending the players. For the first time today, he said he’s fed up. I’m 100% okay with that. Tactics don’t mean anything when you have passengers. Everybody is guilty.
Brighton & Hove Albion v Chelsea - Premier League
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“The board, the coach because he hasn’t tried to change anything, and the players. It won’t change anything [sacking Rosenior tonight]. They have to wait for the Leeds game, it won’t change anything.
“If you take Rosenior out, it won’t change the mindset. You have to wait until the end of the season. Changing Rosenior two months before the end of the season won’t change anything,” Leboeuf said.
Can Liam Rosenior turn this around?
It feels impossible at this stage, but Rosenior will get fans and, certainly, the players back on side. It feels toxic; it feels like the players are not playing for the manager, and it feels as if he’s lost the dressing room.
DEBATE: Who is the worst Chelsea manager of all-time? Is it Liam Rosenior?🤔
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But a win against Leeds in the FA Cup on Sunday at Wembley will see Chelsea reach the final. It will ease an ounce of pressure on Rosenior, and hand Chelsea a chance to win silverware and qualify for Europe.
Chelsea’s chances of Champions League football are over. Fabrizio Romano said that would dictate the manager’s future, but other reports state that the Champions League would not be the be-all and end-all.
Right now, all Rosenior can do is hope that he survives until Sunday and then orchestrate a win over Leeds. If he isn’t sacked beforehand, surely a defeat to Daniel Farke’s side will end Rosenior’s era.
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