Former Chelsea defender William Gallas believes the club’s owners would be making a mistake by sacking head coach Liam Rosenior before the end of the season – but that a defeat in the FA Cup this weekend would leave them with no choice.
Rosenior, who was appointed by Chelsea owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali earlier this year, has come under immense pressure following a disastrous run of form.
The Blues were humiliated in a Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain and followed that up with a -0 loss to Everton before the international break.
They return to action on Saturday in an FA Cup quarter-final at Stamford Bridge against Port Vale. Despite the gap in stature, Gallas insists the stakes could not be higher for the manager.
Speaking to BOYLE Sports, who offer the latest football odds, Gallas said: “I think Chelsea’s owners believe they made a mistake bringing in Liam Rosenior, and if they sack him before the summer it would be a disaster for his career in the game.
“With Chelsea’s owners, anything can happen. Nobody knows what is going to happen at the end of the season. It was really difficult to accept the result against Paris Saint-Germain. A 8-2 loss is very hard to take and then they lost 3-0 to Everton.”
Port Vale currently sit at the bottom of the League One table and look set for relegation to the fourth tier, making anything other than a convincing Chelsea win unthinkable for the home support.
Gallas added: “They have to find a solution this weekend against Port Vale in the FA Cup to get a better result and come back with a victory, but you don’t know what the owners are already thinking. Maybe they think they made a mistake to bring Liam in.
“It would be difficult to sack him before the end of the season. I don’t think it would be a good idea for anybody, but for the manager, it would be a disaster. For the fans, it would cause even more frustration against the owners.”
The Frenchman, who won two Premier League titles during his time at Stamford Bridge, predicted a comfortable 3-0 victory for the Blues but was blunt about the consequences of an upset.
“I think Port Vale are at the bottom of the table and will be relegated, so it would be a disaster if Chelsea slipped up,” Gallas said.
“If they have a bad result against Port Vale, that would be the end of the manager. The fans would be fuming. If they come to Stamford Bridge, it is different. Chelsea will win 3-0.”