Another roll of the dice for Chelsea

So here we have it: Liam Rosenior (41) has been confirmed as Chelsea Football Club’s new head coach. For many reasons, the Chelsea fanbase and wider football community are asking why. Why has Liam Rosenior been appointed as Chelsea’s sixth manager since the Boehly era began in 2022? To understand this decision, it is best to start with what led to Enzo Maresca’s departure. 

Enzo Maresca was appointed in 2024 after guiding Leicester City back to the Premier League, having previously worked as Pep Guardiola’s assistant during Manchester City’s treble-winning season. He arrived with a sense of charisma and promise. During his 18 months at Chelsea, he delivered Champions League qualification with a fourth-place finish (the club’s first in three years), won the UEFA Conference League, and later lifted the Club World Cup after a stunning 3–0 victory over PSG, making Chelsea world champions for the first time. Despite these achievements, Maresca was sacked six months later after 19 Premier League matches, with the team sitting fifth on 30 points and a 59.8%-win rate — the highest since Thomas Tuchel. So why was he dismissed? 

While there were some disappointing results in the weeks prior — including defeats to Leeds, Atalanta and Aston Villa, along with uninspiring draws against Bournemouth — Maresca’s sacking felt far more like an internal issue than one based on recent results. Tensions appeared to exist between Maresca and the club hierarchy. Eyebrows were raised following a 2–0 win over Everton, when Maresca stated in a post-match interview that the previous 48 hours had been “the worst” and that “many people didn’t support him or the team.” These comments were widely interpreted as a dig at the club’s owners, who have a history of clashing with managers, most notably Thomas Tuchel. 

Following his departure, speculation was rife. Reports suggested Maresca was being lined up as a potential successor to Guardiola in 2026, while others claimed he had been questioned by co-owner Behdad Eghbali over tactical decisions, such as substitutions. Ultimately, it seemed the board and manager held different views on how the club should be run. Regardless, Maresca’s exit left much of the fanbase unsettled. 

The Chelsea hierarchy then made the controversial decision to appoint sister-club Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior as his replacement. The reaction has been largely negative, with surveys suggesting over half the fanbase are unhappy and feel the appointment could represent a downgrade. However, the criticism feels less about Rosenior himself and more about long-term concerns surrounding the ownership’s vision for the club. 

Rosenior’s managerial career has not been particularly prolific so far. He spent a brief spell as interim manager at Derby County before moving to Hull City, where he managed nearly 80 games, recording 27 wins, 28 draws and 23 losses, narrowly missing out on the play-offs before being dismissed in May 2024. His reputation improved at Strasbourg, where he took over a young squad heavily made up of Chelsea loanees and guided them to a seventh-place finish, playing dynamic, high-pressing football. Tactically, he favours possession-based, front-foot football, often using a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, and is open to a back three — systems familiar to Chelsea in recent years. 

Still, the question remains: why Rosenior? I believe Chelsea appointed him for several reasons. Firstly, the owners wanted a quick replacement, and his position at Strasbourg — a sister club — meant fewer complications. Secondly, the club and Rosenior clearly share a vision. He has spoken openly about being aligned with the owners on “style of play” and “recruitment.” These two words are crucial. The owners appear to see Rosenior as a coach who will accept their hands-on approach to recruitment, develop young talent, and increase player value — fitting neatly into their wider project. 

As a Chelsea fan who has tried to remain patient throughout the Boehly era, I have grown increasingly pessimistic. It is unclear whether the owners truly prioritise domestic success or whether they are more focused on sustainability, multi-club ownership, and long-term financial strategy. I do hope despite a few Chelsea managerial sackings that have come from managers and owners not seeing eye to eye during the Boehly era, that Rosenior won’t be walked over and can challenge the culture at the club and can show that the owners don’t need to be hands on. Not that I see much corelation or similarities between the two, but say for example like Ferguson at UTD, he was the man who called all the shots for the team and that was final. 

Rosenior has a huge task ahead. He lacks experience at an elite club and inherits a squad low on confidence, fatigued, and struggling for form, having won just two of their last ten league matches. While I hope his enthusiasm can revitalise the team — particularly the younger players he has worked with before. I fear he may struggle tactically at this level. Managing Chelsea is vastly different from his previous roles. 

I truly hope I am wrong.