Liam Rosenior is under serious pressure to turn things around at Chelsea
Liam Rosenior is under serious pressure to turn things around at Chelsea (Image: Getty)
Parts of the Chelsea dressing room have been left confused by Liam Rosenior's tactical approach and are reportedly losing faith in him. The under-fire Blues manager has overseen a dire run of five defeats in a row, leaving them seventh in the Premier League table. Their wretched form has led to speculation that Rosenior could be sacked after just three months in charge.
It's been reported by talkSPORT that the ongoing slump has forced Chelsea's board into an emergency meeting, despite having originally planned to review Rosenior's position at the end of next season. He signed a six-and-a-half-year contract when he arrived in January, meaning the west Londoners would need to shell out millions in compensation if they decide to pull the trigger.
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As the pressure continues to ramp up, some of Chelsea's players are reportedly starting to give up on their manager's methods.
According to the Daily Mail, many players are struggling to understand what Rosenior is asking them to do. It's claimed the issue has been exacerbated by his tendency to change plans during matches.
Attitude is not thought to be a problem, with the real sticking point believed to be a breakdown in communications between the manager and his players.
An insider is quoted as saying: "Liam is a really nice guy and everyone wants him to succeed, but the reality of the situation is that a lot of the players are struggling to figure out what he wants from them.
"He’s intense and he overloads them with information, he does a lot of individual work on top of what he does with the group. It’s difficult for them to follow and it makes things worse when he changes those instructions during games.
"Everyone is frustrated and they know that results should be better but they don’t feel like they understand what is being asked from them and they don’t feel like that situation is going to change."
The west Londoners have lost their last five Premier League matches
The west Londoners have lost their last five Premier League matches (Image: Getty)
It comes after Rosenior launched a stinging attack on his players following Tuesday's defeat to Brighton, describing their performance as "unacceptable".
He added: "I keep coming out and defending the players. That's indefensible, that performance tonight, the manner of the goals we conceded, the amount of duels that we lost, the lack of intensity in the team.
"Something needs to change drastically right now. The professionalism wasn't there. It's a really difficult night. The most difficult night not even just here, so far, at this magnificent football club, but in my career.
‘Some of the things I witnessed today, I never want to see again. I am accountable, I've always said that, but after tonight, I think the players as well need to have a look in the mirror for what they put in.
"We lost 80 per cent of duels. We didn't win a header. Two of the goals come when we could head the ball. At any level, if you make those errors and lack of engagement, you're not going to win games of football.
‘I saw commitment against Manchester United three days ago. We lost the game, but the performance was very, very good. Today was the complete opposite in every aspect. That's what disappointed me the most."
As things stand, it's not clear if Rosenior will be in charge when Chelsea face Leeds United in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley this weekend.
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