Inside Liam Rosenior to Chelsea: Pep Guardiola playbook, Reece James role, Wayne Rooney truth

Liam Rosenior has been heavily linked with the vacant head coach position at Stamford Bridge following the departure of Enzo Maresca

Liam Rosenior could fall into the same trap as Enzo Maresca if he becomes the new Chelsea head coach. The Strasbourg boss has recently emerged as the leading candidate to take the reins at Stamford Bridge as the Blues step up their pursuit of a new manager.

football.london understands that Rosenior has impressed the Chelsea hierarchy during his time with the Ligue 1 club, also owned by BlueCo. Last season, the former Hull City boss helped Strasbourg qualify for the UEFA Conference League with one of the youngest squads in Europe.

The French outfit were fighting for survival in the top-flight before his arrival, so it was considered a great achievement. Since taking the reins at Stade de la Meinau, Rosenior has often punched above his weight, enjoying wins over the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Olympique Lyonnais, and Marseille.

At the end of November, the Englishman also led Strasbourg to a landmark victory against Crystal Palace. Strasbourg eventually topped the Conference League 'league phase', and they were one of just three teams to remain unbeaten.

While Rosenior has certainly caught the eye in France, questions have been raised about his suitability for such a high-profile job. So, with that being said, football.london spoke to Barry Cooper, who covers Hull City for Hull Live, to find out everything you need to know about the 41-year-old.

Rosenior follows the Guardiola playbook

"Liam's style is very much from the Pep Guardiola playbook, although he's put his own stamp on it over recent years as he's prepared extensively to become a manager. At City, he favoured the 4-2-3-1 formation, and had two sitting midfielders in Jean Michel Seri and Tyler Morton, who was on loan from Liverpool.

"At times, City played some lovely football and scored some fine goals. The first half of their win at Southampton in the 2023/24 season was spectacular, and left us thinking they were genuine promotion contenders, but unfortunately, their desperately poor home form ultimately proved their undoing.

"His style relies on dominating the ball, and playing out from the goalkeeper, using the two central defenders and the traditional number six to come and take the ball off the goalkeeper, and trying to play through the press.

"Sometimes it did feel like his team was trying to play that extra pass and walk the ball into the net, rather than have a shot. Liam would argue that he wants his team to 'have a go' when the time is right.

"He has adapted that style somewhat since going to Strasbourg, which shows he's a manager who can adapt. However, the frustration during his time at City among fans was an element of stubbornness, as he was wedded to his beliefs too much, which left the team a little too pragmatic and unable to really put teams to the sword."

Rosenior to give Chelsea duo a new lease of life

"He'll love Reece James, who should be England's right-back at the World Cup if he can stay fit, and somebody like Jamie Gittens could also flourish under him, and so, too, Tyrique George, but he won't be afraid to promote players from the academy if he believes they're good enough.

"Rosenior is also keen on promoting youth where he can. We saw Harry Vaughan arrive from Oldham Athletic and be thrust into the first team scene, and I mentioned earlier about taking Morton from Liverpool.

"His man-management was crucial, too. He was able to get the best out of Turkish international Ozan Tufan. A mercurial talent, but one that had flattered to deceive for the most part, but Rosenior got him fit and was able to get the best out of him."

Rosenior has a ruthless streak

"He'll move on the players that don't adapt to his system, and those who can't take the ball and play at risk. He wants to put the ball at risk, and that brings its natural challenge and moments where you want to hide behind the sofa, though at times, it can have the opposite effect, and they become too safe."

Rosenior wants to connect with the players and staff

"I really liked Liam and got on with him well and enjoyed what he did in turning City from a team struggling at the wrong end of the table when he arrived, to one that played decent football and challenged for a play-off place.

"He built a good relationship with the fans, though that connection was helped by the fact that he played for the club under Steve Bruce when it won promotion to the Premier League.

"His players liked him, and there was a feeling of unity across the club, and I think his experience of English football was a useful conduit between himself and owner Acun Ilicali, who was relatively new to football in this country."

Rosenior struggled to win at home

"The biggest frustration at City was the team's inability to win enough games, especially at home. There would be so many occasions where they'd pass the ball to death, dominate teams, but be only 1-0 up and then concede a bad goal and drop points.

"They won only two at the MKM Stadium in the second half of the campaign, drawing five, and it cost them. Their squad that included Jacob Greaves, Ryan Giles, Seri, Morton, Delap, Jaden Philogene, Anass Zaroury, Delap, Tufan and Fabio Carvalho really should have done enough to get into the top six and while there was a sense of pride that the Tigers had been challenging after a few years of struggle following their League One title win, there overriding feeling was one of deflation that his squad had missed out.

"Of course, the Championship is tough. Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Southampton were miles clear, so they were only playing for two places, and they ultimately missed out by a few points to West Bromwich Albion and Norwich City.

"As I said earlier, Rosenior has adapted since going to France, and he's done a fine job in Ligue 1; it felt like he would always come back to England. Whether he's at the stage in his career to manage Chelsea and all that goes with that remains to be seen, but he's certainly not lacking in self-belief or confidence."

Rosenior worked closely with Rooney

"During his days at City, he was already creating his coaching blueprint. Some have said he was the coaching brain at Derby County when he was Wayne Rooney's number two. That spell at Pride Park hurt him, after replacing Rooney as caretaker boss and then being let go following David Clowes' takeover."

Rosenior could fall into the same trap as Maresca

"Ending up at City was big for him, given his connections as a player and family - his nan was from Hull - and it looked like a match made in heaven, until disagreements over certain players with the owner, and ultimately, the failure to get into the top six."

Rosenior could 'unlock' Delap at Chelsea

"Rosenior made a huge play to sign Delap at City, and in truth, the striker has a lot to thank him for. Delap was a delight at City, playing on the half-turn, and he was a real threat.

"His goal in the win at Leicester City was symbolic of how he's progressed since, taking it on the half-turn off the right flank before powering towards the edge of the box and firing in the far corner.

"Losing Delap to injury was a real blow to City, and their hopes of winning promotion, and being reunited with him will be a fascinating watch to see how the striker develops. Rosenior certainly helped improve him, and it was enjoyable to see.

"Rosenior was a driving force behind Delap's move to the MKM Stadium, and he helped develop him into a really good forward and one that got into the England Under-21 setup and then saw his career blossom since.

"There's no doubt that Delap will be a focal point under Rosenior, should the stars align..."