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Liam Rosenior was sacked as Chelsea head coach on Wednesday evening after under four months in charge and Calum McFarlane will now take interim charge of the Blues again
When Chelsea released their official club statement on Wednesday evening, announcing the departure of Liam Rosenior, it read very differently to the one published when Enzo Maresca exited Stamford Bridge. Granted, the circumstances were different - Maresca left of his own accord, while Rosenior was relieved of his duties less than four months after being appointed head coach.
In Wednesday's statement, the line, "as the club works to bring stability to the head coach position, we will undertake a process of self-reflection to make the right long-term appointment", caught the eye of many. It was, as a lot of Chelsea supporters have been calling out for, an acceptance from the sporting leadership team of a mistake they made, whereas the statement for Maresca's departure was much more straight to the point.
Stamford Bridge sources say that there is full accountability in senior positions at the club. There is an acknowledgement of getting key decisions wrong, Rosenior's appointment clearly being one of them, those responsible are keen to learn from their mistakes.
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Therein lies the problem for Chelsea and BlueCo; the consortium, who bought the club from Roman Abramovich almost four years ago, have made too many mistakes when it comes to their managerial appointments. Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino, Maresca and Rosenior have all been tried and tested but BlueCo are yet to find the long-term head coach for their ambitious, and controversial, project.
A considered and disciplined approach will now be taken in the club’s hunt for Rosenior’s permanent successor, with no appointment expected until the end of the season. Calum McFarlane, who took interim charge for two matches between Maresca’s exit and Rosenior’s arrival, will lead the first team for the remaining games of the campaign.
Sources say Chelsea are not in active talks, at the time of writing, to replace Rosenior. It will be up to the five-strong group of sporting directors to source his long-term successor - and it is a decision they simply need to get right. There are no indications, at this moment in time, of a change within the sporting leadership group at Stamford Bridge, so the next head coach appointment is undeniably crucial.
However, getting the right person is going to be difficult; even more so after Rosenior was brutally dismissed after 106 days in the dugout. Prospective replacements will have to think twice before agreeing to become a part in the BlueCo model. Being a head coach is ordinary in football nowadays but some struggle to deal with the lack of impetus they suddenly have.
Ruben Amorim was sacked from the head coach role at Manchester United in January after his relationship with the club’s board took a turn for the worse. Amorim was involved in a power struggle at Old Trafford - and there was only ever going to be one winner.
The head coach in the BlueCo model does get a say in matters but only to an extent. Sources say Rosenior had more involvement in planning for the summer transfer window than Maresca ever had. Ironically, Rosenior was axed in spring.
There is a change of approach when it comes to BlueCo appointing their fifth permanent head coach. This time, they want someone with top-level experience. Cesc Fabregas, who is flying at Como, is a name that has been linked but there are said to be doubts that the former Chelsea midfielder would move to Stamford Bridge at this point in his career.
Xabi Alonso is available, and Andoni Iraola will be in the summer once he leaves Bournemouth - and both have been linked via other media outlets. However, trying to convince a top-level manager is set to prove difficult for BlueCo. These managers all face crucial next steps in their careers and will be looking for a settled environment; something BlueCo have failed to offer their four appointments to date.
All three of these managers - though Chelsea will be looking at others as well - have brilliant reputations. Even Alonso, who left his position at Real Madrid after less than eight months in charge. There is an acceptance of how difficult the Madrid job can be, and his reputation among Europe’s brightest young managers remains.
The Chelsea job is a big deal and it remains that, but with each managerial blunder, it is becoming less and less attractive and surely more difficult for the club to attract their targets.
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