For his last press conference as Strasbourg coach, Liam Rosenior responded to the question about the anger of Alsatian fans: “Fans can be proud to know that a manager from their club is considered capable of coaching Chelsea. It was also hard for me to choose to leave Strasbourg”. The problem is that the supporters of the club where he arrives are hardly more delighted. The fault is his somewhat meager experience on the sidelines (Hull City then Strasbourg). There BBC And Sky Sports have collected numerous opinions from Chelsea fans and they are not thrilled by BlueCo’s choice to call on Liam Rosenior.
“In no other industry could Liam Rosenior have achieved such a senior position in a large organization with his level of success and experience”writes Danny on the website of the BBC. “As a Chelsea supporter, I don’t want a manager to come in and learn on the job. The six best clubs should favor experienced coaches. You don’t get the head coaching job of a major organization without leadership and experience.”Leo post on Sky Sports. Rosenior is completely unknown in England, despite his playing past (Fulham, Hull City, Reading and Brighton), because he has never coached in the Premier League. And no one watches Ligue 1 across the Channel.
The management strategy pinned down
“This is perhaps the stupidest decision the Chelsea owners have made in a very long time. Zero steps forward, five steps back”adds another. The root of the problem is well targeted by certain Internet users. “All I can say about this appointment is that it makes sense for the owners and the board, but not for Chelsea Football Club, the supporters and its progression to the top”we read thus. On the BBCTerry writes: “To say I’m a little disappointed would be an understatement. I have nothing against Liam Rosenior, but management and sports directors need to let go and let a coach manage the team. As long as they buy and sell players without consulting the coaches, they will never have a renowned coach.”
This touches on the real concern of the fans, that of seeing a new straw man sitting on the bench, a “Yes man” who will accept without flinching the decisions taken by the board. Decisions often motivated by the financial aspect, rarely by the athlete, judging by the latest transfer windows made by the Blues. Rosenior said he was excited to join Chelsea, an opportunity he couldn’t turn down. But it’s a whole people that he will have to convince, a team that he will have to build despite a bloated workforce and the results that he will quickly have to obtain. “This inexperienced coach will have to win every game to prove he deserves to stay. I say he will be sacked before the end of the season”already predicts a pessimistic supporter…
