All the reaction from Brighton’s 3-0 Premier League win against Chelsea from the Amex Stadium
During the second half of Brighton's 3-0 stroll against Chelsea the Albion fans started singing Liam Rosenior's name.
"He's one of our own," they chanted as Brighton cruised against a Chelsea team who had long since downed tools at the Amex Stadium.
Rosenior was a key part of Albion's promotion winning team that sealed a rise to the Premier League under Chris Hughton 2017.
The former defender was and is well thought of at Brighton and started his coaching career at the club before moving on to Derby, Hull, Strasbourg and then Chelsea.
Clever, intelligent and engaging he seemed to have a lot going for him, until he went to that chaotic club in west London. Few managers would turn down the Chelsea job but the dream of managing at Stamford Bridge and the reality are two very different things.
Graham Potter found that out and now Rosenior. The money is great, the profile can be useful for future roles but the damage to a reputation can be irretrievable.
The Brighton loss was as bad as it gets for a Premier League side - Chelsea’s fifth defeat on the bounce. I have seen a number of bad teams at the Amex over the years but I cannot remember watching one simply give up as they did last night. A team of internationals and extremely expensive ones at that.
A few players aside, the Chelsea team literally stopped playing. They had no answer to Albion's intensity and they simply looked lost, baffled, confused and could not wait to get out of there.
Brighton are a good team at the moment, Fabian Hurzeler has them playing the best football of his reign so far. Chelsea caught them at a bad moment and Rosenior was made to suffer.
Disgusting, embarrassing, not fit for the shirt - these were the some of the more polite comments from Chelsea fans as they left the Amex. The radio phone-ins were no better.
Rosenior was simmering with inner-rage as he arrived for press conference duties in the bowels of the Amex Stadium at around 10.30pm.
He spoke sharply as he answered questions such as has he lost the players, can he survive this moment, how can he turn this around?
He answered dutifully but without conviction. Like his players, he looked as though he wanted to be elsewhere... probably punching a wall somewhere, or at the very least wondering if this is all worth it.
Rosenior blamed the players
Rosenior took some of the blame and also called his players out, "I can't defend them," he said. And nor should he, they were shocking. But the club World Cup champions look completely spent, they looked like a Championship team at best.
They seem to have lost faith in their leader and there is often only one outcome when that happens. They are decent individual players without an identity or team spirit.
Rosenior is also without many of his best players - Levi Colwill, Reece James, Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer to name a few - and the simple fact is, get those back and results may improve.
Players though can be sensitive creatures and despite their completely woeful display, they will not appreciate being publicly called out by Rosenior, a manger many seem to have little respect for.
"How will the players react to your public criticism?" was a final question of a very tense press conference. "We shall see," was Rosenior's sharp retort.
He’s completely done
Regular Chelsea journalists simply shook their heads. They have seen this many times before - five times in fact since Todd Boehly took control. “He’s completely done,” said one as he grabbed his laptop and left the press conference.
Rosenior also said the fans’ chants against him will not bother him as he prepares for this weekend's FA Cup semi-final against an improving Leeds United.
"I have thick skin," he added.
Rosenior will need it and the players will need it too. The next few days are key for Rosenior's career. At the moment it seems unlikely he can turn this around.
The players look uninterested and if they can't get motivated for an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley then, much like Brighton did, Leeds will trample all over them and Rosenior will likely be gone.
Rosenior is a short-term issue but Chelsea have much deeper problems that require a long-term solution.
Perhaps they should look at Brighton's model and employ some of their staff? Another £300m may just do it.
Continue Reading