Liam Rosenier speaks at a press conference. (Image: Getty Images)
Liam Rosenior recently left his post-match press conference after Chelsea lost 3-0 to Brighton on Tuesday night. Pressure appears to be mounting on the Blues’ head coach, with Rosenior being the subject of abusive chants from the away side at the Amex Stadium.
His Chelsea side were beaten by the Seagulls, who now leapfrog the West Londoners in the Premier League table. Here’s everything Rosenior had to say…
Basically, it was unacceptable in terms of the pride one should have in wearing a shirt. I have defended the players and I am responsible. I’ve always said that. After tonight, I think the players need to look in the mirror and see what they tried to do. It’s okay to talk about tactics, but tactics come after the basics. We played with more courage, won duels, won headers, won tackles and conceded terrible goals. Tonight was an unacceptable performance.
Is it fair to say that there’s a disconnect between you and the players, and maybe the fans and the players, and maybe even the fans and you?
Judging by that performance, it seems so. I won’t lie. That was unacceptable. I don’t feel there is a disconnect between me and the players. We work very closely with them in training, individual meetings, team meetings, etc. We give everything to our players. A lack of spirit, a lack of belief can create a perspective that makes it look a certain way. I can’t argue with that at this point. Because our run this time was unacceptable and that performance certainly was as well.
What did you think about the chant about you?
Supporters, I think you can understand that. I understand their frustration. That’s my job as head coach and manager of a football club. The expense stops with me. I have thick skin so I can see why fans would be annoyed. We are frustrated with our performance. We must continue to work hard together with our staff and players. But what I have to do is really look at the way we play the game, the personnel in the team, the personnel in the team that I trust and rely on in difficult moments. Because not enough players showed that in today’s game.
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Looking at the players’ questionable commitments, doesn’t it make it difficult to understand how to turn this situation around?
I watched the game against Manchester United three days ago. That’s what disappointed me the most. Although we lost the match, our performance was very, very good. Today was the complete opposite in every way. That’s the hardest thing for me to accept right now. Right after the game. I’m an emotional person. That is completely unacceptable. Those words are unacceptable. I lost 80% of my duels. I couldn’t win with a header. Two of the goals came when I was able to head the ball, which is the basics of soccer, but when I couldn’t do it. No matter what level you are at, if you make these mistakes and don’t concentrate on the game, you can’t win a soccer match.
Liam Rossenia during Chelsea’s 3-0 defeat to Brighton (Image: Getty)
I feel like when you’re talking about a player’s performance, you’re basically saying they’re not playing for you, basically…
No, it’s not a play for me at this point, whether it’s a play for me or not. It’s about playing for the club. It’s about playing for the shirt. It’s about playing to win a soccer game. We can talk about what we saw tonight. You can load whatever you want into it, whether they’re playing it for me or not, but the performance itself was terrible. It went against everything I believe.
Do you think players can accept such criticism?
I understand that. I have never criticized them before. I have defended them. they deserve it. But I’ll tell you the truth. I always come out here and tell the truth. And I blame myself too. It’s not just about blaming the players. I’m part of that process too.
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Is it sometimes dangerous for a manager to be very open or very cruel to his players?
I’ve always said I’ll be honest and I’ve been honest with the players. I’ll be as honest as I can. I’m not going to throw anyone under the bus. That was an unacceptable performance. And I’m at the forefront of that. So what I’m coming up with here is we’re playing Chelsea. I manage Chelsea. Soccer clubs are often faced with criticism and pressure. So if you can’t handle that, you shouldn’t be here. It’s that simple. And that’s what we need to address this week. But it also needs to be addressed in the long term. need to be addressed.
Do you think there will be enough time to deal with it by Sunday?
You have to make time for that. Must work with staff 24 hours a day. We need to make the right decisions for the team ahead of Sunday’s big game. And we will do our best to turn the situation around.
