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Liam Rosenior could soon be sacked by Chelsea (Image: Getty)
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Liam Rosenior failed to leave his mark during his short-lived spell at Chelsea, with five consecutive defeats in their bid for Champions League qualification proving sufficient for the club hierarchy to pull the trigger. A loss to Manchester United at the weekend allowed Brentford to draw level on points following their goalless stalemate with Fulham, while a 3-0 thrashing at the hands of Brighton on Tuesday proved the final straw, with the Seagulls and Bournemouth leapfrogging them in the standings.
The Blues dispensed with the former Hull and Strasbourg manager on Wednesday following a dismal run of results. With just four fixtures remaining, sixth place would secure Europa League football, while seventh would earn a Conference League berth. Chelsea's recent form has left them mired in eighth, however, and they've drawn a blank in each of their last five league outings. Rosenior's on-pitch woes were further compounded by a pair of significant disciplinary issues during his tenure at Stamford Bridge.
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With that in mind, Express Sport examines three players who have fallen foul of Chelsea's head coach...
Enzo Fernandez
The Argentina international was handed a two‐game ban by Chelsea for comments made about former head coach Enzo Maresca earlier this month. On the same evening, the captain sparked further doubt about his future, cryptically saying 'we'll see' when questioned about what might unfold after the World Cup.
The ban ruled him out of the FA Cup clash against Port Vale and the Premier League fixture against Manchester City. Despite serving his suspension, Fernandez continued to train alongside the first-team squad and was stripped of the captaincy. He returned for last weekend's 1-0 defeat to Manchester United - but did not wear the captain's armband.
He did captain the side in defeat at Brighton though. The midfielder's remarks left supporters questioning whether there was a deeper meaning behind them, yet Rosenior maintained that his relationship with Fernandez 'is in a very good place.'
"Me and Enzo are in a very good place," said Rosenior. "I saw him today and I had a really good conversation with him on a one-to-one. Things aren't what people maybe think they are."
Wesley Fofana
Further questions were raised when Wesley Fofana marched straight down the tunnel after being withdrawn in the 81st minute during Chelsea's 1-0 home loss to Manchester United on April 18, conspicuously snubbing both Rosenior and first-team coach Justin Walker.
In his post-match remarks, Rosenior initially voiced his disappointment that such public incidents were generating a "bad story" about the squad's character. He acknowledged that while he valued passion, he believed the defender "could have shown that emotion in a better way" rather than turning it into a public display. "I've spoken to the players about this," he said following the match. "You tell a story about yourself in moments sometimes, especially on a football pitch. It's emotional and you tell a story about your character and sometimes when you don't show yourself in the best light, the perception of you is probably different to what the reality is.
"A lot of the work we're doing with the group, with the players, is not football. It's not just football. We have a young group of players and that's a really positive thing at times and with that comes a responsibility for me and my staff to help them through difficult moments. I want to change the perception of them because I've got to know them very well. That takes time and they need to learn quicker than maybe they have done."
By the following Monday, Rosenior confirmed that Fofana had formally apologised for his unprofessional behaviour. The manager sought to ease the tension by stating: "Wes is a very emotional character in a good way. He's not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve. I think he could have showed his emotion in a better way and I've spoken to him about that. Wes apologised for his reaction."
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Emmanuel Emegha will join Chelsea later this year (Image: Getty)
Emmanuel Emegha
Fernandez's incident was not the first occasion Rosenior has been forced to address a disciplinary matter. During his tenure at Strasbourg, he publicly called out Emmanuel Emegha for failing to respect 'the values, expectations and rules' of the club.
Emegha was handed a one-game suspension by the French outfit as a consequence, with Rosenior branding it punishment for 'clumsy comments to the press.'
The Dutch international's ban stemmed from an interview in which he admitted he initially believed Strasbourg was located in Germany before putting pen to paper, alongside remarks implying the team's poor performances were down to his absence through injury.
Rosenior acknowledged that he and the squad won't overlook the positive contributions Emegha has delivered at Strasbourg, but emphasised that the striker is still only 22 and, like anyone, is capable of making errors.
"Emma made some clumsy comments to the press that hurt a lot of people, and he had to be punished for that," Rosenior said. "He also needs to realise that every action has consequences."
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In a statement published on Instagram, the striker wrote: "I accept and understand the club's decision to suspend me for this weekend. I'm 22 years old, I've made mistakes, and I know I still have a lot to learn. And I have to learn from this. I know I need to do better, and I will do better, on the pitch and off it, to represent the club. That's important to me.
"I want to make it clear that I never intended to hurt anyone. Since I arrived here at 19, I have always given everything for Strasbourg. I'm proud to play for Racing and I'm proud to wear the captain's armband."
Emegha is scheduled to arrive at Stamford Bridge this summer, having agreed a pre-contract in September 2025. The striker has a seven-year arrangement in place for when he completes the transfer to west London.