Chelsea have revealed their decision to sack Liam Rosenior after the club suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Brighton yesterday night. There have been reports that the Blues’ hierarchy were forced into making a decision after the sordid display, and the 41-year-old coach has now been relieved of his duties at the Stamford Bridge dugout.
On April 21, Chelsea picked up their fourth league defeat in a row without scoring a single goal. They travelled to the Amex, where Brighton dealt them a strong blow with an early goal from Ferdi Kadioglu. Jack Hinshelwood doubled the score, and just before the end of the game, Danny Welbeck added a third to seal the Blues’ fate. It was arguably a rather disgraceful defeat that could have been worse, had the Seagulls worn their clinical boots.
After the game, the Stamford Bridge hierarchy are believed to have called for an emergency meeting regarding Rosenior’s future at the club. It seems, as the Blues fall out of European spots, that they concluded on his sacking. The former Strasbourg head coach had been signed in January to replace Enzo Maresca, who was sacked on New Year’s Day after falling out with the higher-ups. However, despite an early bounce with a honeymoon period, reality hit hard for Rosenior in his new role.
They have now lost seven of their last eight games in all competitions, getting knocked out of the UEFA Champions League at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain, who demolished the Blues with an 8-2 aggregate scoreline. Chelsea’s abysmal run of form has seen them lose five consecutive games without scoring a goal, a record that is nearly as old as the club.
The Blues might have backed the Rosenior project at the start, but the mood around Stamford Bridge could hardly stay positive with how consistent the dismal results have been. Chelsea still have to face Leeds in the FA Cup semi-final over the weekend, but they will likely need a temporary man at the helm to lead.
Julian Nagelsmann Emerges As Top Candidate To Replace Rosenior
With Rosenior’s departure done and dusted, the rumour mill is in full swing regarding the next permanent head coach at Stamford Bridge. According to those reports, Julian Nagelsmann has emerged as a top candidate to replace the former Strasbourg coach. The German national team head coach provides something of a rather solid CV with his top-level pedigree at Bayern Munich.
Meanwhile, other names have been mentioned in recent hours. Former Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso could be tempted to head the Chelsea project, unless Liverpool opens up this summer. Also, PSG manager Luis Enrique and Como boss Cesc Fabregas remain high-quality replacement options.