Chelsea’s new manager Liam Rosenior got off to a winning start in his first game in charge of the Blues, beating Charlton Athletic 5-1 in the FA Cup on Saturday night.
Liam Rosenior has made the perfect start as Chelsea head coach. (Image: PA)
Chelsea’s new manager Liam Rosenior has become the first manager in 10 years to lead the Blues to victory in their opening game. Rosenior got off to a perfect start as they defeated Championship side Charlton Athletic 5-1 in the FA Cup third round on Saturday night.
Strikes from Jorel Hato, Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Giu, Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandes ensured that the charges of Rosenior went straight to the fourth round. The win means that Rosenior becomes the first Chelsea manager to win on his debut since Antonio Conte in August 2016. This success ten years ago saw the Italian mastermind win 2-1 against West Ham United.
Of the nine managers to date, including interim and caretaker managers before Rosenior, none have been able to lead the Blues to victory in their opening game. Including Frank Lampard’s separate spells as manager and caretaker, their record stands at five draws and four defeats.
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After the match, Rosenior spoke about Chelsea’s performance in the first match and praised his new team’s approach in the Valley. He said: “Well, I was very happy with the team’s attitude in the first half as well.
“This is not an easy place to be in the third round of the FA Cup, we pressed very hard and I felt it was really good.
“I felt we were in control of the game and created some chances from outside the box. The goal came at a really good time. It was a great finish for the pigeons.”
“It was the beginning of the second half of the game and I felt part of the flow of play…We know we have outstanding players.
Jorel Hato scored a stunning opening goal for Chelsea in the FA Cup against Charlton. (Image: Rob Newell/CameraSport)
“We were able to bring in some outstanding players from the bench, but I have to say that I was happy with the starting lineup. I was happy with the front three. I felt that Ale (Garnacho) was working hard one-on-one.”
“Marc Giu was great and deserved his goal. Jamie (Gittens) looked like he was going towards the defender.
“He looked like he could be creative in a lot of situations. There were a lot of really positive things and a good start.”
Chelsea’s attention now turns to Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against London rivals Arsenal. Rosenior will be in charge of Brentford’s first Premier League game three days later when they visit Stamford Bridge.
Regarding the upcoming match against Arsenal, Rosenior added: “There are two days left. No, I think the biggest thing I challenged the players was our reaction to setbacks and our intensity.”
“It’s nothing tactical, nothing technical. They’re outstanding players. They’ve been well-coached in front of me. I was very happy with the togetherness and spirit of the group today (Saturday).”
“I was very happy with all the fundamentals: the intensity of their runs, the duels they won, the headers they won. That’s where the joy comes from.”
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