Liam Rosenior eyes extended stay to stabilise Chelsea

LONDON – Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior believes that his spell at Stamford Bridge can end the club’s turbulent period, if he is given time to make his mark.

The Englishman became the Blues’ fifth permanent manager under current owners BlueCo when he arrived from Strasbourg to replace Enzo Maresca in January.

Including caretakers, the 41-year-old is the ninth boss to have held the job in the six years that Mikel Arteta has managed English Premier League leaders Arsenal, who host Chelsea on March 1.

There has also been a significant turnover of players and staff during that time.

From the squad that won the Champions League in 2021, only Reece James remained by September 2025.

Thomas Tuchel, who managed Chelsea to that Champions League final success against Manchester City, was dismissed four months after the new owners took control.

Graham Potter and Mauricio Pochettino also had short-lived reigns at the club, before Maresca’s 18 months in the job ended abruptly on New Year’s Day following a falling-out with the hierarchy.

Asked how he viewed his Chelsea future after a solid start featuring four straight wins in the league before disappointing draws with Leeds United and Burnley, Rosenior said patience was the key to success.

“Sitting here in this chair, I want to be here for as long as possible,” he told reporters on Feb 27.

“I want to be the guy – and not just me but the team, the staff, the ownership, sporting directors – I want to be a part of something really successful for a long time. That’s why I signed up for this challenge.

“The reality of football is that what gives you time is being successful. You need to show your quality, not just in terms of the games, but every day.

“Every day you need to be top with the players in terms of the way you develop them, the way you put your sessions on, the way you conduct your meetings.”

On the lack of stability at Chelsea, he added: “I hope this is the end of the upheaval for this club. I hope I can be here for a very long time and bring the club the success it deserves.”

Turning his attention to the immediate future, the Blues are facing a tough run of games in the Premier League with trips to Arsenal and Aston Villa coming up next, but Rosenior is happy with the challenge as they push for a Champions League place.

Unbeaten in the league since he took charge, the only blemishes on his record are two losses in the two legs of their League Cup semi-final tie against Arsenal.

“Take it game by game. The Premier League is so difficult every week, the different tactical problems you face... I don’t judge one game as harder than the other,” Rosenior said.

“I’m very happy with this group, with the start we’ve made. We’ve won eight out of 12, it should be 10 out of 12. That’s not a bad foundation to start from.”

If Chelsea lose in the London derby on March 1, it will mark the first time Arsenal have beaten the Blues three times in the same season since 2003-04, when the Gunners won their last Premier League title.

“In terms of going out to win the (League Cup) games, there was a clear idea that the players carried out very well. We didn’t get the result we wanted and we want that to change,” Rosenior added.

Chelsea have welcomed Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo back to training after injuries, but winger Estevao Willian will remain out with a hamstring injury.

“They’ve looked very good in training this week. We’ve got players coming back from injury. We need to stay calm, consistent in our process and tick each game off as it comes,” Rosenior said.

AFP, REUTERS