Reliable reports came out this week suggesting that Liam Rosenior will remain the Chelsea manager next season, even if they fail to qualify for the Champions League. The earliest the club plan to review his position is in the summer of 2027. Well, we all know things can change quickly in football. If the Blues continue to lose matches, BlueCo might have no other choice but to sack the Englishman. But for now, he retains their backing.
If Rosenior is going to remain Chelsea manager for the foreseeable future, things need to improve. And drastically. The club have a lot of problems currently.
If there is one that stands out above the rest, it is their defensive frailty. Chelsea look like conceding everytime that the opposition goes on a counter-attack.
Rosenior’s defensive setup needs to be questioned. Far too often, they seem completely exposed at the back. They do not seem to have the pace in the backline to recover either. And one stat shows how bad things have gotten for Chelsea defensively since the Englishman’s arrival.
Chelsea stat since Liam Rosenior’s appointment shows level of defensive issue
Rosenior’s first Premier League game as Chelsea manager was against Brentford. They won 2-0. Remarkably, that is the only time that the club have kept a cleansheet under the English manager. Yes, one in ten matches.
In the nine games since then, Chelsea have conceded 14 times. Also, after winning the first four Premier League games under Rosenior, they have produced one win in the next six.
Just for context, for all of Chelsea’s shortcomings under Enzo Maresca, they kept eight clean sheets in 19 Premier League games this season. The difference is night and day. The Italian was working with the same defence.
Chelsea’s defensive record needs to improve drastically if Liam Rosenior is to succeed
Defence wins leagues. That is an old saying in football. And at one point in history, Chelsea were the prime example of this. They conceded 15 goals over an entire Premier League campaign. A record that stands to this day.
Well, Rosenior’s Chelsea have conceded 14 times in 10 games. And their defensive record is only getting worse with time, instead of improving.
Many will point towards the need to sign some quality defenders in the summer. Contrary to popular belief, Chelsea actually have great options in the full-back areas. It is the central defence that could do with some strengthening.
Perhaps signing a towering defensive midfielder would not be a bad idea either. That is a profile that Chelsea seem to lack at this point in time.
Maybe doing that will solve Chelsea’s problems. Or perhaps the issue lies with the structure and tactics on the part of Rosenior. If that is the case, it is inevitable for his run at Stamford Bridge to end in failure.
