The 7-0 win over Port Vale and a place in the FA Cup semi-finals has taken some pressure off Liam Rosenior’s shoulders. But make no mistake, the Englishman is still in a bad position. Before the weekend’s victory, Chelsea were on a four-game losing run. They had even scored in three of those matches.
Port Vale are sitting at the bottom of the League One table right now. It would be safe to say that much tougher tests lie ahead for Chelsea. The visit of Manchester City will tell us a lot about where this team stand.
So far, there have been conflicting reports about where the club stand when it comes to Rosenior. Some suggest that there are doubts about him at the board level internally. Others suggest that he has BlueCo’s backing and his place at Stamford Bridge won’t be under review until the summer of 2027.
It has only been three months since he replaced Enzo Maresca. But the Englishman has not done much to convince that he is the right man for the job. On the contrary, he might already be starting to lose his handle on the dressing room. And a large section of the fanbase gave up on him weeks ago.
Chelsea’s reported plan to sack Liam Rosenior
A lot can change between now and the end of the season. Of course, Chelsea are still in contention to win the FA Cup. But even more important for them will be Champions League qualification. Without it, they might have a tough time keeping hold of their best players. Enzo Fernandez already looks likely to leave. A few others could follow him out the exit door.
According to Football Insider, Rosenior is likely to be sacked at the end of the season. Chelsea are already laying the groundwork to appoint a replacement. Early feelers have been sent out to agents and third parties.
It remains to be seen whether the report is on the mark or not. It is interesting though that the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Xabi Alonso have been linked with the Chelsea job in recent weeks, as Rosenior struggles to get results.
Will Chelsea sack Liam Rosenior at the end of the season?
I have always felt that Chelsea will give Rosenior some time. After all, he was handed a six-and-a-half-year contract. Would the club have done that if they had any doubts about continuing with him for the long run?
Rosenior is the most BlueCo appointment the club have made so far. The Englishman did not have the resume for the Stamford Bridge job. He was already managing Strasbourg though, which was vital in his getting the post.
If Chelsea do end up sacking Rosenior, it will be very interesting to see what kind of manager they will bring in next. It will be unthinkable if they try and go for someone like Gary O’Neil.
The likes of Alonso and Fabregas would fit the BlueCo model, and they won’t at the same time. They are young managers who are on the same timeline as the squad that has been put together. But they are also superstars in their own right. Surely they will want more say in matters than what some of their previous appointments might have had. So, it could signal a change in strategy after four years of failures.
