This week, Chelsea fired Liam Rosenior. The Englishman will not have lasted 4 months on the Blues bench. While waiting to find a coach, the London club has entrusted the interim to Calum McFarlane. The latter held his first press conference this Friday. Obviously, there was talk of Rosenior’s departure with whom he was able to speak before he left. On the other hand, McFarlane did not know if the ex-Strasbourg coach had been able to greet his players. “I don’t know exactly how he did it or how it happened. I spoke to him on the phone on Wednesday, I think (…) He was good. The conversation was interesting. I have a lot of respect for Liam. I didn’t know him before he arrived at the club, and he welcomed me warmly and made me part of his team. I have a really good relationship with Liam and I’m really disappointed it didn’t work out.” In his staff, McFarlane is still at Chelsea, where he will have to make sure things improve.
“It’s not for me to say what worked well or badly. My focus is entirely on Leeds. We have a crucial match on Sunday. So I’m just thinking about Leeds as a team, our weaknesses, our strengths, our weaknesses and how we’re going to prepare for this match (…) I didn’t say I didn’t know what it was about (about what wasn’t working, editor’s note), I said I wouldn’t talk about it today. All our attention is focused on improving the performance of the Leeds United team. We haven’t had a meeting yet. We are focusing the team on Sunday’s game, we have discussed the game plan and our approach, with and without the ball. It is essential to be fully focused on Sunday’s match. You don’t have to think about anything else. No need to look back on the past. Only Sunday’s match counts. We absolutely must improve our performance. Our performance against Brighton was not up to par, we know that. It is now a matter of understanding the reasons from a technical and tactical point of view, and ensuring that the team is better prepared to apply the game plan on Sunday (…) I am not saying that the technical or tactical aspect is more important than the physical, psychological or other aspect. All these aspects are important and we need to be on top in all areas for Sunday’s game. We are facing a very good team and we have to do everything to be up to the task (…) They are very high level players, capable of playing at an exceptional level, and for one reason or another, that did not happen. They will take responsibility for it, obviously, but we have to adapt. We must move forward. You have to be ready for the next challenge, and that next challenge is Leeds.” Finally, when a journalist asked him if the players were not playing for Rosenior, he concluded: “I will not make any comment on this subject.”
