Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior has emerged as the front-runner to replace Enzo Maresca as Chelsea manager after the Blues confirmed the Italy international’s departure.
Within hours of Enzo Maresca’s departure from Chelsea being officially announced, the front-runner for the top job at Stamford Bridge has emerged. But he was not one of the biggest names in European football, nor was he someone with experience managing a Champions League club.
Still, the mention of Liam Rosenior shouldn’t necessarily come as a shock. The Englishman is currently in charge of Strasbourg, another club in the portfolio of Chelsea owners Bruco, so it would be little difficult to pull off a move over the line.
The bigger question is whether it will work on the pitch. Maresca leaves with a record of one win in seven matches, and Chelsea are currently three points outside the top four, with no guarantee of Champions League football like they finished fifth in last season.
There is also uncertainty in Europe, with work still to be done if the Blues are to reach the Champions League. They have 10 points from six games in the league phase, with 11 being the magic total to qualify for the play-offs last season and 16 needed for a top-eight finish. And it would be a bold decision to entrust the final two games to a rookie.
Although Rosenior is a relative novice when it comes to European club competition, he has impressed in other ways as well. Now Mirror Football takes a closer look at the man who could end the season in the Stamford Bridge dugout.
read more: Chelsea star hints at further departures after Enzo Maresca’s departureread more: Enzo Maresca wants to leave Chelsea and talks with two rival clubs before leaving Chelsea
Rosenior was born into a soccer family and learned the rigors of club management from an early age. His father Leroy played for West Ham and Fulham before moving into the dugout, with his most successful spell at Torquay United in the early 2000s.
However, Devon’s second contract with the club lasted only 10 minutes, and the new owners decided that he was not the player they wanted. At the time, Liam was a Premier League player who would eventually make over 100 appearances for Fulham, Reading, Hull and Brighton.
After coaching at Brighton, he was allowed to train fully at Derby in the 2019/20 season. His first season at Pride Park saw him as Philippe Cocu’s number two, and he remained at the club after Cocu was sacked in November 2020, working under Wayne Rooney.
It was a tough time for the Rams. Rooney narrowly avoided being dropped in his first season, but in his second season his fate was effectively sealed by two point deductions and he fell down the table. However, the difficulty of the task is recognized and Rosenior took charge on an interim basis after Rooney left Derby before taking up the top job at former club Hull in November 2022.
The Tigers were just one point out of the relegation zone when Rosenior took the reins, but things quickly improved. They came close to finishing 15th with 14 points, but narrowly missed out on the playoffs in his first full season as manager.
However, while unexpectedly controversial, that wasn’t enough to keep him in the job. Hull president Akun Ilikari said it was a “difference of opinion” because Rosenyoglu had failed to provide the attacking football he wanted at the club.
Illikari told BBC Humberside: “Liam is a very good coach and I think he will be a huge success.” “He is young and a very good character who is loved by the team.”
Hull turned to Tim Walter, but the gamble did not pay off and the German was sacked just six months into the new season, with his replacement Ruben Seles putting his survival on the line on the final day of the season. However, as expected by Illikari, Rosenior’s rise continued even after leaving the Championship club.
Rosenior took charge of Strasbourg following the departure of Patrick Vieira. The Alsatian club finished 13th in the 2023-24 season, but benefited from a new manager and an influx of players, including one from Chelsea.
After finishing 9th in the middle of the season, Rosenior’s team quickly moved up the standings in the second half of the season. They went on a 12-game unbeaten streak from February to early May, conceding just seven goals in the process, showing off their coach’s defensive prowess.
Two losses in their last two games ended their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League, but they still qualified for the Conference League. This is the first time they have advanced to European football since losing in the Europa League play-offs in August 2019. They finished this season at the top of the league with five wins and one draw, winning four of their first five league games, but have recently fallen down the table.
Questions will no doubt be raised as to whether Rosenior was really chosen as Chelsea manager. However, he has already shown the ability to cope with difficult situations and achieve results. The next challenge is to do the same at a club where expectations are higher than any club he has ever encountered.
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