Liam Rosenior has a bit of charisma about him, that is for sure. When he was first linked with the job, most fans would not even been aware of who he was. Those who knew probably did because they have a habit of keeping up with the going ons at BlueCo sister club, Strasbourg. One thing is for sure. Not many were delighted at the idea of bringing in an inexperienced manager to take over at Stamford Bridge.
Was it the right decision? That is something time shall tell. What we can tell you is that Rosenior has done a fantastic job of talking the fans to his side over the past couple of days.
He has sounded like a level-headed manager who knows what the expectations are at Chelsea and is not afraid of them. He is not playing down what the fans should ask for from this team, as many have before him. And he is not exactly playing down his own abilities either.
According to the club's official website, Rosenior said while talking to the press:
"With the talent that we have, the level of professionalism of the group, the intensity of which they've trained over the last two days, their engagement to something new, there are really, really positive signs here.
‘You don't limit your ambitions. I'm not arrogant, but I believe I'm good at what I do. And in every job that I've worked, whether it was as an interim, as an assistant, as a head coach or a manager - relative to the group I've worked with - I've been successful.
‘So, for me, I've always wanted to be at a huge club like this. But it's not about just being here, it's about being successful here."
Liam Rosenior sends perfect message to Chelsea fans ahead of debut vs Charlton
To be honest, that is a fair assessment of things. During his interim charge of Derby County, he won seven of the twelve games. Then, he guided Hull City to a seventh-place finish in the Championship. He would depart that summer, and they finished 21st in the following campaign.
He guided Strasbourg to a seventh-place finish last season and had them in the same position this time around when the call from Chelsea came. So, all things considered, he has overdelivered in every coaching job that he has had so far.
Of course, that does not mean that it will work out at Chelsea as well. You could have said the same thing about Graham Potter at the time of his appointment and look at how things turned out for him at Stamford Bridge.
Not every manager can deal with the pressure of managing a top club in the Premier League. But while many others shy away from those expectations, like Potter seemed to do, Rosenior is taking them head-on. Even going as far as reminding some about what this job entails. He said:
"I’m here because Chelsea is expected to win, rightfully so, every game that they play. You’ve seen the appointments of managers in this league and in Europe: if you don’t win, you’re in trouble. I need to manage to win in the short term, but also I need to have an eye on the long term so we can be successful over that period."
He even recognises the importance of making Stamford Bridge a fortress again. Rosenior said:
"My job is to make teams fear coming to Stamford Bridge."
All of these comments will remind the fans of some very successful Chelsea managers of the past. There is a bit of Jose Mourinho about the way Rosenior has come in and immediately taken on the pressure head-on. Perhaps a bit of Thomas Tuchel as well when it comes to how clear his understanding is of what is expected.
There is a lot to like about Rosenior, that is for sure. Now, it is about taking this newfound positivity and translating that into good performances on the pitch. If he can do that, the fans will rally behind him, that is for sure.
Then again, if the results are not great to begin with, these comments are going to be brought up against him. So, Rosenior has taken a risk here for sure. But as far as first impressions go, he has made a brilliant one.