Even a week back, Chelsea seemed adamant that Liam Rosenior was the long-term answer for the club. But that situation has changed drastically after the past two results. The loss against Manchester United was a blow. But the one to Brighton & Hove Albion might have been the breaking point.
At least, at the weekend, Rosenior had the excuse of the team being unlucky and not making the most of their chances. There was nothing to lean on after the loss to Brighton. His Chelsea side was played off the park from the first minute.
Rosenior sounded like a man who had accepted defeat by the end of the game. He openly questioned the desire of his own players and asked them to look in the mirror. That was a clear sign that he had lost the dressing room. And in football, managers rarely return from that position.
Rosenior is not expected to either. How long will BlueCo continue to postpone his inevitable sacking? That is the question right now. It is pretty much a matter of when and not if.
Fabrizio Romano drops update on Chelsea potentially sacking Liam Rosenior
Not too long ago, briefings were coming out that Rosenior would remain Chelsea manager even if they failed to qualify for the Champions League. It was claimed that his first performance review would not take place before the end of the 26/27 campaign. Well, it looks like it has not taken the BlueCo leadership long to make a U-turn and sacking the Englishman before the FA Cup semi-finals seems like a real possibility.
As reported by Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea hierarchy are now deciding internally on Rosenior’s situation, whether to continue or to sack him. Internal discussions are taking place ahead of the FA Cup game against Leeds United.
While this is no guarantee that Rosenior will be sacked, it does show that the sack is unavoidable, whether it happens today or sometime down the line. His position as the club’s manager has become untenable after five straight league losses without scoring a goal and seven defeats on the trot when facing top division opponents across all competitions.
Who could replace Liam Rosenior until the end of the season?
If Chelsea do end up sacking Rosenior until the end of the season, who would replace him? Of course, the most likely candidate seems to be Calum McFarlane.
They could also go for a club legend without a job at the moment, in order to bring the fans back on their side for the time being. But in the long run, that won’t be the answer.
Chelsea will probably have a much better chance of winning the FA Cup with an interim manager than they would if they continue with Rosenior. The ball is in BlueCo’s court. The situation seems to have advanced. Now it remains to be seen if they end up making the decision or not. If or when they do, it would pretty much be a public admission of how badly they got it wrong. Again.
