Are they trying to win? Former Chelsea striker suggests Rosenior appointment shows lack of ambition
Liam Rosenior signed a deal until 2032 at Chelsea this morning
Former Chelsea striker Chris Sutton has questioned the appointment of Liam Rosenior as the Blues’ new head coach.
Rosenior was confirmed in the role this morning, signing a six-and-a-half-year deal at Stamford Bridge to replace Enzo Maresca, who was sacked last week.
The 41-year-old has a relatively modest coaching career with his best finish being seventh in the Championship with Hull City and seventh in Ligue 1 with Strasbourg.
And Sutton says the decision by BlueCo, who own both Chelsea and Strasbourg, to go for the former Fulham and Reading full-back indicates a lack of ambition.
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‘What sort of club are Chelsea?’
He told the Monday Night Club on BBC Radio 5 Live: “I hope it’s a move which doesn’t swallow up and have a negative effect on his coaching.
“He’s a super smart guy, but the one thing I can’t work out about Chelsea is what sort of club are they? What are they actually trying to achieve? Are they trying to win?
“They’ll say of course we’re trying to win but you always felt, whether you like the Roman Abramovich era or not, that they were always going to compete or contest.
“But I don’t get the same sort of feeling from this Chelsea package with the new owners in.”
Nevin backs Rosenior appointment
Sutton’s scepticism is not shared by ex-Chelsea winger Pat Nevin, who believes Rosenior’s understanding of how the club’s owners work may be an advantage.
Nevin said: “From the recent ownership of Chelsea, you’ve had Mauricio Pochettino, Frank Lampard, Graham Potter, Thomas Tuchel, not bad managers. Pretty top-line managers who have a lot of experience. Liam Rosenior is going to come in with limited experience knowing that if he doesn’t do well he’s for the chop.
“Why not do it? The other thing you remember is maybe we are in a changing world right now in football, and the organisations that own and run football clubs, want a level of control and you can see it from their point of view. Why not? They’re paying the money. But, as soon as the manager does well and as soon as he put his head above the parapet, we are now seeing what happens.
“Maybe Rosenior coming in from inside the Chelsea family from Strasbourg, maybe he gets the gig. Maybe he understands the deal. And if that’s the case and he’s willing to work under those conditions for the longer term, he will survive as long as he is successful.”
Rosenior will be in the stands as fifth-placed Chelsea go to neighbours Fulham tomorrow night. His first game in charge will be the FA Cup third-round tie at Charlton on Saturday.