Chelsea could turn their attention to Liam Rosenior after deciding to part ways with Enzo Maresca on New Year’s Day.
Maresca’s departure at Stamford Bridge had been brewing for numerous weeks after his cryptic comments made in a press conference.
The 2-2 draw with Bournemouth on Tuesday was the final straw for the Chelsea board, who deemed their relationship with Maresca untenable.
Maresca’s sacking ultimately came down to a power struggle behind the scenes, and now Chelsea are looking for his replacement, with Rosenior the current favourite.
Liam Rosenior Managerial Background
Following a successful playing career that took him from Bristol City to Fulham, Reading, Hull and Brighton, Rosenior kick-started his coaching career with the latter in their Under-23 side.
In 2019, he moved to Derby County, where he worked under manager Phillip Cocu as a first-team coach before his promotion to assistant under Wayne Rooney in 2021.
He later said of the experience: “Without that experience with Wayne, I don’t think I would be the manager I am now.”
The duo helped keep Derby in the Championship after taking over when they were bottom. A 21-point deduction in the following campaign confirmed their relegation, and Rooney opted to leave.
Rosenior took over on an interim basis and managed 12 games, winning seven, before taking the opportunity to manage Hull City.
It was there that he really started to build his reputation as a talented up-and-coming manager.
He picked up a 35% win record at Hull and narrowly missed out on the play-offs by finishing seventh in the 2023/24 campaign.
Despite exceeding expectations, Rosenior was sacked with club owner Acun Ilicali claiming it had come down to a difference of football philosophy.
The following season, Hull narrowly avoided relegation to League One on goal difference.
On 25 July 2024, Rosenior was appointed as the new head coach of Ligue 1 club Strasbourg, joining the BlueCo club on a three-year deal.
BlueCo is a consortium led by Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly.
Rosenior finished seventh in his first season in charge of the club, a significant improvement on their 13th-place finish in the previous campaign.
This season, they currently sit in seventh.
What’s Liam Rosenior’s style of play?
Rosenior typically uses a fluid formation, which often moves from 3-2-5 in possession and 4-3-3 out of it.
Strasbourg prioritise keeping the ball and building play methodically from the back rather than resorting to long balls. They are one of the lowest long-ball teams in Ligue 1, showing a deliberate focus on short passes and controlled progression.
Their goalkeeper and defenders are involved in playmaking, encouraging opponents to press forward to create space to exploit.
Out of possession, Rosenior’s team presses aggressively to force mistakes and regain the ball quickly. Strasbourg rank among the top in the French league for pressing opponents’ ball touches.
Rosenior has fielded extremely young starting line-ups and built a team with high work-rate, intensity and willingness to press.
Given his current tactics, Chelsea chiefs believe Rosenior would be able to implement his strategy and style of play without needing a major overhaul of the squad.
Has he won any awards?
Rosenior was honoured as the Manager of the Season in Ligue 1 for 2024-25 by Get French Football News, a well-regarded French football publication.
This award recognised his achievement in ensuring RC Strasbourg qualified for the Conference League.
Rosenior was also shortlisted for the Championship Manager of the Year at Hull before his sacking and won two Manager of the Month trophies.
What’s his Managerial Record?
Derby (interim)
Games: 12
Wins: 7
Draws: 2
Defeats: 3
Win %: 58.33
Hull City
Games: 78
Wins: 27
Draws: 28
Defeats: 23
Win %: 34.62
Strasbourg
Games: 62
Wins: 31
Draws: 14
Defeats: 17
Win %: 50
