Liam Rosenior has been backed to make an instant return to management just hours after being sacked by Chelsea.
Despite penning a six-year contract at Chelsea back in January, Rosenior was relieved of his duties on Wednesday, the day after his side slumped to a 3–0 defeat to Brighton with a hapless performance that further damaged their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.
The Englishman arrived with a strong reputation after guiding Ligue 1 side Strasbourg to European football last term.
However, he lasted just 106 days, winning 11 of his 23 matches across all competitions. Chelsea have now suffered a fifth successive Premier League defeat without scoring, equalling a 114-year record.
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After the match, Rosenior — who had been subjected to angry chants from the away section throughout — described Chelsea’s performance as “indefensible” and “unacceptable”.
At that point, the writing appeared to be on the wall, with his sacking confirmed on Wednesday afternoon.
A statement from Chelsea read:
“Liam has always conducted himself with the highest integrity and professionalism following his appointment midway through the season.
“This has not been a decision the club has taken lightly. Recent results and performances have fallen below the necessary standards, with still so much more to play for this season.”
Liam Rosenior backed to return to management
Despite Rosenior’s reputation taking a hit due to his short and unsuccessful spell at Stamford Bridge, one of his close friends and former Premier League defender Curtis Davies has backed the 41-year-old to bounce back sooner rather than later — even suggesting promotion-chasing Ipswich as a suitable destination.
Speaking to AceOdds, Davies, who has worked with Rosenior as both a player and a coach, said: “In terms of where you would like to see him go next and be given a fair chance, it is a really interesting situation.
“We are talking about a manager who has just lost his job at Chelsea, yet there is also a conversation about him potentially dropping back down to the Championship. That is quite a strange turn of events, as his stock would effectively fall from managing Chelsea to working at a lower level.
“It would be interesting to see whether another Premier League club might take a chance on him. At the same time, there are strong teams in the Championship — including sides that may be pushing for promotion or could be looking to change managers.
“For example, a club like Ipswich could be an interesting fit if their managerial situation were to change. His attention to detail and preferred style of play might suit a team like that.
“Of course, this is all speculative. A lot will depend on what opportunities are available at the end of the season and how he feels about his next move.
“He might even consider returning to France and taking on a new challenge there, perhaps with a club competing in European competitions, and building his reputation again in a different way.
“It is one of those situations where there is no clear answer. However, his reputation should still be strong enough for him to secure another good job. This is not the end for him, but it is definitely a setback — especially after a run of six difficult games without success.”
Davies then suggested that Championship sides Wrexham and in particular, Birmingham City, may also be future destinations that would suit Rosenior’s skillset.
He added: “Birmingham and their ambitions, a lot of their decision-making will come down to data.
“If they were to analyse Liam, he would likely come out well. However, whether they actually move for him would depend on what the data says. They are a club that puts a big emphasis on metrics, trends, and projections, such as where a team should be in the table based on performances.
“They would probably carry out detailed checks on his teams, looking closely at how they play and how consistent those performances are over time.”
Topics: Chelsea, Football, Premier League
Luke Davies