Photo by Chris Lee - Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Photo by Chris Lee - Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
When Liam Rosenior’s stint as Chelsea manager came to an end, some questioned whether the former Hull City boss would have a future in the game. Now, he’s thriving in France.
Of course, Chelsea hired Rosenior back in January from sister site Strasbourg after he had starred as the manager of the Ligue 1 club. But Rosenior’s spell as Chelsea manager was a disaster, on and off the pitch.
To be a Chelsea manager, Clearlake did not realise that the man in the dugout required footballing aura. Carlo Ancelotti, Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte have it, Graham Potter, Rosenior and others lacked it.
John Terry backs Emma Hayes at Chelsea over Liam Rosenior
Photo by Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images
Ultimately, Rosenior lost the players, lost the dressing room and lost matches. Now, he’s back in France after Red Bull club Paris FC took a chance on Rosenior – and boy, is it paying off. Paris sit in second place.
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Rosenior celebrates Clearlake revenge and Jorgensen incident
On Saturday, Rosenior’s Paris took on Strasbourg – who have also made a good start to the season. Both sides sit above PSG, with Strasbourg in seventh despite the 2-1 loss to Rosenior’s side on Saturday.
After the match, Rosenior was clearly emotional. The disgraced Chelsea gaffer celebrated in front of the away end ferociously, making gestures towards the away support – releasing months of frustration.
It resulted in Strasbourg players confronting the Paris manager on the pitch, with replays showing that Rosenior was even involved in a push-off with Filip Jorgensen – the goalkeeper he admired at Chelsea.
Ultimately, it is great to see Rosenior rebuilding his career in Paris; but he was never cut out for the Chelsea dugout. Far too early in his managerial lifespan. Who knows, maybe 10 or 20 years on from now.
Filip Jorgensen would have been first choice under Rosenior
One of Rosenior’s biggest problems as Chelsea manager was who to start in goal. Without the benefit of signing a World Cup-winning goalkeeper like Alonso, Rosenior was left with Jorgensen or Robert Sanchez.
He didn’t even get the luxury of having Mike Penders as his back-up; the Belgian making his name under the guidance of Rosenior while the latter was Strasbourg’s boss. Rosenior became irritated by Sanchez.
The mistake in the league game at The Emirates against Arsenal was the final straw, and Jorgensen was thrown in for games like Villa away and the first leg against PSG. Injury stopped Jorgensen’s no.1 pursuit.
But had Jorgensen remained fit, he would have been first choice under Rosenior eventually. Ultimately, it didn’t work out for either of them, and now they are both in France – clearly, any love has now been lost.