Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior could be facing the sack this summer, according to club legend Emmanuel Petit, who admits he is “not sure” the manager will survive a run of form that has left the club’s star players looking “lost.”
Speaking to BetGoat following the Blues’ exit from Europe, Petit delivered a scathing assessment of the current regime. He suggested that Rosenior’s tactical “humiliation” against Paris Saint-Germain has exposed a manager struggling with a step up that may have come too soon in his career.
“I have no idea if he’s going to stay at the end of the season, but to be honest with you, something has to change,” Petit said. “I think the dimension of Strasbourg fit perfectly with Rosenior. Giving him the responsibility of such a huge club like Chelsea is a huge step.”
Players ‘tired’ of the lack of vision
Petit believes the uncertainty in the dugout is beginning to impact the dressing room, specifically citing the “spine” of the team—Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, and Cole Palmer—as players who now look psychologically drained by the lack of stability.
“When you look at their faces, they feel lost, thinking, ‘Am I right to stay at this club? Am I going to leave the club at the end of the season?'” the Frenchman noted. “Those guys want to win a trophy… but after spending between 1.5 and 2 billion pounds, you have top players, but you don’t know how to play. You have no vision.”
See also: The Chelsea crossroads: Will Liam Rosenior still be in charge next season?
The former midfielder, who represented both Chelsea and Arsenal during his time in London, also criticised Rosenior’s touchline habits, particularly the constant passing of tactical notes to players during games.
“The way he’s acting, his body language on the bench, the way he’s always trying to write things down on the paper then giving it to his players… I mean, come on. We’re not stupid, we’re not kids.”
The Fabregas Shadow
With speculation mounting that Cesc Fabregas is being monitored as a potential successor, Petit admitted the former Blues captain is an “interesting prospect” due to his success at Como. However, he warned that no top-tier manager will succeed at Stamford Bridge while the ownership continues to interfere.
“I think Alonso and Fabregas are very interesting prospects. But would they be interested to manage Chelsea if they don’t have the power to do what they want to do? I don’t think so.”
He concluded with a direct message to Todd Boehly and the Clearlake Capital board: “Give the control to the manager… don’t put your nose in matters that you don’t understand. The Chelsea fans don’t want business at the club, they want success.”