Liam Rosenior was appointed to Chelsea in January following the departure of Enzo Maresca, but the club fell apart after he led Chelsea to their worst run in 114 years.
Liam Rosenior has been relieved of his duties (Image: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Chelsea have announced that Liam Rosenior will be sacked as manager after just three months in charge. Tuesday’s 3-0 defeat away to Brighton was the Blues’ fifth straight Premier League defeat without a goal, their worst top flight result in 114 years.
Rosenior, 41, described his team’s performance as “unacceptable” and vowed to make changes ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final against Leeds. However, the Englishman was relieved of his duties ahead of the trip to Wembley after senior players reacted furiously to his post-match comments. Chelsea’s leaders held talks on Wednesday regarding Rosenior’s departure, and ultimately decided to change the manager again, with Callum MacFarlane taking charge until the end of the season.
An official statement from the club said: “On behalf of everyone at Chelsea FC, I would like to thank Liam and his staff for all their efforts during his time at the club.
“Since Liam took over mid-season, he has always conducted himself with the utmost integrity and professionalism.
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“This is not a decision taken by the club lightly, but recent results and performances have been below the required standards and there is still much to play for this season. Everyone at Chelsea FC wishes Liam all the best for his future endeavors.”
“Callum MacFarlane will lead the team as interim head coach until the end of the season, with support from the club’s existing backroom staff, as they aim to qualify for Europe and progress in the FA Cup.
“The club is working to stabilize the head coaching position and will begin a process of introspection to make a suitable long-term appointment.”
Rosseniol was appointed in January following the surprise departure of Enzo Maresca, who left the Blues after 18 months. The former Hull City manager has signed a six-and-a-half year deal, effectively being promoted from his role at sister club Strasbourg in France.
His appointment highlights Chelsea’s controversial ownership model, which has been the subject of protests in recent weeks. BlueCo, the consortium led by Todd Boley, and Clearlake Capital, the investment firm set up to take over Chelsea in 2022, have parted ways with Stamford Bridge’s five permanent managers.
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Chelsea have lost five in a row in the Premier League (Image: Darren Walsh, Chelsea FC, Getty Images)
After Saturday’s 1-0 home defeat to Manchester United and Sunday’s wins over Liverpool and Aston Villa, Chelsea’s Champions League hopes were doomed and a win against Brighton was essential. However, Rosenior’s team found themselves behind with just three minutes remaining.
The away supporters made their feelings towards Chelsea’s poor performance, Rosenior and the club’s owner clear with a variety of chants. After the match, Rosenior admitted he had been unable to defend his team’s performance, which was the “worst ever” in a dire situation dating back to early March.
“It was unacceptable on every level,” he fumed. “It’s unacceptable in terms of attitude. I continue to come out and protect my players, but tonight’s performance was indefensible. Something needs to change dramatically here and now.”
During Rosenior’s tenure, it wasn’t just about performance and results. They got off to a strong start with six wins in seven games across all competitions. The bad feeling around Stamford Bridge has increased further after leaked team news and key players such as vice-captain Enzo Fernandes hinted at a move in the summer transfer window.
Liam Rosenior was stunned by Chelsea’s performance (Image: Glyn KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)
Rosenior added: “We need to look in the mirror. We need to look in the mirror. I can’t continue to come out here (and) keep defending some of the things we see.”
“At Manchester United, we didn’t really get the results, but we felt we had turned a corner. But[tonight]the general attitude[and]the spirit was missing.
“Probably three or four out of 11 games, but it’s not good enough for this club. It’s far from good enough. You can’t go out there and lie, I’ll be honest. It was an unacceptable performance on all fronts.”
“It’s a really, really difficult night. It was the most difficult night of my career, even for this great football club (alone). Some of the things I witnessed today I never want to see again.”
“To be accused of even throwing in the towel is unacceptable. That’s all I’m saying. I’m hurt. It doesn’t represent me. It doesn’t represent the football club in any way. That has to change from Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final.”
But it won’t be Rosenior in the dugout at Wembley after his brief spell ends.
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