Liam Rosenior’s arrival at Chelsea has caused a lot of noise, with emphasis placed on his CV, status and the manager’s comments to the media. But his actions quietly laid a positive foundation on which to build.
It was now five wins in six games for the manager, but Wednesday’s 3-2 victory away at Napoli, which sealed Chelsea’s automatic place in the knockout stages, was the most memorable. In fact, this is the standout achievement of his managerial career so far.
The back three system he adopted at the start of the match did not work as planned. However, the momentum in the second half gave the team momentum due to Rosenior’s changes during the match.
Joao Pedro celebrates after scoring for Chelsea against Napoli
“I’m always learning,” Rosenior said afterwards, even as he downplayed his role and cheered on his players.
His humble attitude seems to have earned him praise from the team. Footage of João Pedro laughing with his head coach after the match in Napoli appeared to give a glimpse of a happy camp, with captain Reece James saying he was “improving every session” under Rosseniol.
Picking up three points against Crystal Palace, which ended their Premier League away win streak at five games, and securing their first away win of the season in the Champions League certainly suggests he is getting the application he is looking for from his players.
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Free to watch: Highlights of the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Chelsea
James said the relationship was still “early” and that “we are still getting used to him and the style of football he wants to play,” and there was definitely evidence of that on the pitch. For example, in recent home wins against Brentford and Paphos, the flow of play was not as fluid as Chelsea fans had hoped.
But we need to be cautiously optimistic about his impact so far.
Indeed, this was an early return that belied the criticism Rosenior received for his off-game days.
The 41-year-old’s enthusiastic clapping on the side of the training ground has been controversial, while he has denied speculation that he builds Lego to sharpen his players’ minds, while a famous quote from his Strasbourg days about breaking down the word “management” into “man” and “age” has resurfaced, causing laughter.
But while there seems to have been a desire to characterize Rosenior as someone who relies on gimmicks and corporate talk, his answers about technical and tactical ideas in the game are detailed and interesting, reflecting his impressive stint as a pundit for Sky Sports in the past.
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Rosenior talks about his start at the club, his inspiration as a manager and more
Watching him from the media box behind the dugout at Stamford Bridge, he is constantly interacting with the coaching staff, listening, debating and incorporating advice and observations on the board. Set-piece coach Bernardo Cueva has been elevated to a front-row seat, reflecting a new, more collegiate approach under Rosenior.
In many ways, he is the quintessential modern businessman. Young connected with his players, adhered to a clear style, and prescribed detailed patterns of play.
His youth, and the fact that he has only managed 159 games, has led to skepticism about his qualifications for the scale of the job at Chelsea.
These concerns may continue. But so far, a 3-2 first-leg defeat at home to Arsenal in the Carabao Cup semi-final is the only major blemish on his encouraging start to life in west London.
He has said he needs to become a “winning” manager at Chelsea, but may feel he is not quite there yet. A win against Napoli will help in many ways.
As a result of this victory, Chelsea avoided a two-legged play-off to reach the last 16, giving them a training week in February to further strengthen their presence in this squad.
“He has never spent so much time with the players since his arrival,” Sky Sports News’ Gary Cotterill, a native of Naples, reported. “It was just preparing for the game, preparing for the game, repeat. I think he’s looking forward to that.”
Napoli’s victory is against the famous former Blues manager Antonio Conte and is also the first of three important matches for Rosenior and Chelsea.
Saturday, January 31st 5pm
5:30pm kickoff
The Blues will next face West Ham at home in the Premier League on Saturday as they aim to improve their chances of qualifying for the Champions League. They will then face Arsenal in the second leg of the Carabao Cup at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday. Both will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
This week is expected to be extremely important.
Sky Sports’ Paul Merson explained: “The jury is still out on Rosenior with Chelsea fans and whether he has enough experience.” “However, defeating Napoli away in a big football match to seal our place in the top eight will go a long way to helping fans overcome those doubts.
“The win at Napoli is a good start to a big week with games against West Ham and Arsenal. If he can get three wins he will be a hero for Chelsea.”
Quietly successful start? By this time next week, even more people may be convinced of the job Rosenior has done at Chelsea so far.
