We're well into the January transfer window, but Chelsea have been rather quiet in terms of in and out transfers. All the noise has been caused by the departure of Enzo Maresca on January 1st, following a falling out with the Blues hierarchy, less than six months after he won the Club World Cup in his debut season. The ownership and sporting directors have received a lot of criticism for this situation, and rightly so. There are now serious question marks about the viability of this entire project.
A few names had been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge in the past few days, but one had always been the leading contender to become Chelsea's new head coach. And it's none other than Liam Rosenior from Strasbourg.
So, it was unsurprising when Chelsea officially appointed Rosenior as their new head coach following the departure of Maresca. There are question marks around his fit for the job as well, as he has no experience of either playing for or coaching a club of this size.
The 41-year-old Englishman has signed a contract until 2032, becoming the fourth full-time head coach since the club's takeover by the new ownership in 2022. And the decision to hand Rosenior a deal of that length has been slammed by the supporters.
Chelsea fans unhappy with Liam Rosenior decision already
One Chelsea fan wrote about the length of the deal: "Can’t get my head around giving him a contract until 2032 unless it’s the only reason he put pen to paper."
Another added: "Clearlake have their yes man. Congratulations to all involved! Onto the next one."
Rosenior was born in London and played for Fulham, Hull City, and Brighton & Hove Albion. He took over as manager of Strasbourg in July 2024 after serving as Wayne Rooney's assistant at Derby County and then as Hull City boss in the Championship.
The Englishman has never managed in the Premier League, and his most notable achievement thus far has been leading Strasbourg to European qualification after finishing seventh in Ligue 1. One could argue that he has overdelivered in both his jobs so far. But does that make him capable of managing Chelsea?
The Blues have shown immense trust in Rosenior by handing him such a long-term deal, something that most managers do not receive at any club. Of course, Maresca had one as well. So, it does not really mean much.
By now, it is pretty clear that the coaching is not the problem at Chelsea is not the coaching. It is the poorly thought-out structure and transfer model that the ownership has stubbornly stuck to for the last four seasons despite underwhelming results. A team built on more than £1 billion should be competing for the Champions League every year. This one can't even qualify consistently.