The departure of Liam Rosenior following the historic struggles of Chelsea over the last three months has raised questions as to whether parting with Enzo Maresca was the right decision at all. Most would say that it was not and has cost the Blues a spot in the Champions League next season, and who knows what in the long-term.
The Blues are currently placed ninth in the Premier League table with a top five finish now mathematically impossible. Their only hope of winning silverware this season is against Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
Man City are the clear favourites to lift the prestigious tournament, as per their recent form. But perhaps Chelsea can pull off an upset, as they did last summer in the Club World Cup final against the unstoppable PSG.
Calum McFarlane makes bold decision after Chelsea defeat
Following five consecutive defeats under Rosenior in the Premier League without even scoring once, the club management responded by sacking him. They decided not to further hamper their chances in the FA Cup with a tie against a high-flying Leeds United side in the semifinals, which the Blues won through Enzo Fernandez’s goal.
After their victory over Leeds, the fans were hopeful of a revival under Calum McFarlane in the final few games left to play this season. But the defeat against a much weaker Nottingham Forest side brought them back to reality while also mathematically ending the Blues’ chances of qualifying for the Champions League next season.
Now, according to a report from Kieran Gill in the Daily Mail, McFarlane had handed the players a few days off after the win over Leeds United. But they were told to report back at Cobham the next day after losing to Nottingham Forest.
Will the move backfire during the crucial fixtures?
The report also suggests some of the squad were not happy with Rosenior for not giving them enough days off while he was in charge.
We all saw the lack of commitment towards the end of Rosenior’s time as Chelsea manager. Now, the question, will McFarlane’s actions bring up a similar reaction amongst the players or will it actually help the side prepare better for the two crucial fixtures ahead?
I guess we’d have to wait a few days in order to find the answer. The game against Liverpool is this weekend and then there is the FA Cup final against Man City the following week.
