Chelsea appear ready to appoint Liam Rosenior as their new head coach after Enzo Maresca’s departure and Wayne Rooney’s glowing mention speaks volumes about his huge coaching talent.
Liam Rosenior must be seen as a big bet for Chelsea. A young, relatively inexperienced manager taking over one of Europe’s biggest and most successful clubs.
But Rosenior himself doesn’t consider it a gamble. He sees this as a big challenge and is willing to accept it. This young manager is full of ideas, determination, energy and an unstoppable great personality.
Rosenior, 41, has won accolades for his coaching wherever he has been. And after coming through Brighton Under-23s, Derby County, Hull City and now Strasbourg, he should be respected, not ridiculed.
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His style, philosophy and ambition have already earned him rich praise from Wayne Rooney, with whom he worked at Derby.
Rooney told the BBC’s Wayne Rooney podcast: “Liam was very important to me. His coaching ability was unbelievable. I was more of a manager, dealing with the players and everything else.”
“His details, the way he approaches it day-to-day, he’s as good as I’ve ever worked with him. So I learned a lot from him from that standpoint, and I think overall he’s done a great job.”
“There’s a side of him that you don’t want to cross with him, and that’s important too. If he goes there, he won’t be disappointed. He’s been waiting for an opportunity like this. He’s been waiting for an opportunity like this. He has a side that he doesn’t want to cross. He has a side that he doesn’t want to cross. He’s been waiting for an opportunity like this.
“If you don’t take it now, you’ll never take it. And I think he’s done his apprenticeship and done his job to get that job.”
Ideally, this opportunity may come further down the line. He did well at Strasbourg, a club in the Chelsea family owned by BlueCo.
His departure didn’t go well, but he could have done with a little more time and experience. But former England captain Rooney also made a great point that England managers need such opportunities. Cynics might say that if he were a foreign coach, there wouldn’t be as many question marks.
We also still tend to judge managers based on their playing careers, and while he was never a big name, played in the Premier League, and had a journeyman career, it’s clear that he carried that personality wherever he went.
Always ask questions. I have always aspired to a career in coaching. Always studying. Learn and grow.
He was so impressed with me in every interaction and conversation. He’s a top guy. He is an incredibly bright, eloquent, and caring person. That’s interesting. He’s a big personality.
It was very obvious to me that he would go a long way as a coach or manager. He did well overall at Hull. He was well liked at Derby and formed a good partnership with Rooney. When Rosenior took over as caretaker manager, Derby were going through a difficult and tumultuous period and there was a sense that his brand of possession-based, stylish football was never going to work in League One.
But in reality, Rosenior left the club still thinking highly of him. Respect remains. And if you don’t learn through the process, it’s a failure on his part.
If the players believe in him, and that is key, they will enjoy being coached by a manager who plays an attractive brand of football that develops players, champions and entertains young players. His team talk is inspirational. Players speak of his energy, enthusiasm and clear instructions. He also interacted with the Strasbourg fans.
Chelsea understand this is a departure from some of their big names from the past. But Enzo Maresca was no celebrity when he took charge and enjoyed success, even if it ended in tears.
Rosenior speaks very well. He’s eloquent and Maresca really struggled to unite and convince fans, but early results, wins, and a good message will earn him time and respect.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Rosenior. And he is ready for it.
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