Liam Rosenior, appointed as Chelsea’s new manager in January on a contract until 2032, has been dismissed just four and a half months into his tenure. He leaves the club in a worse position than he found it. In January, Chelsea was fifth in the Champions League standings, 17 points behind leaders Arsenal. Now, they sit eighth, 22 points behind leaders Manchester City, and with a game in hand against at least three teams that could overtake them in the league if they win this weekend: Brentford, Everton, and Sunderland.
Rosenior began his tenure strongly, winning eight of his first eleven matches. However, this early success was overshadowed by an exit from the Carabao Cup at the hands of Arsenal, a crushing defeat in the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain, and, more concerningly, a streak of five consecutive losses – a first for Chelsea since 1993. During this winless run, Chelsea failed to score a single goal, a stark statistic not seen since 1912.
“On behalf of everyone at Chelsea FC, we would like to express our gratitude to Liam and his staff for all their efforts during their time at the club. Liam has always conducted himself with the utmost integrity and professionalism following his appointment midway through the season,” the club stated in a press release.
“This was not a decision the Club took lightly, however, recent results and performances have fallen below the necessary standards with much more to play for this season. Everyone at Chelsea FC wishes Liam the best of luck for the future.” Calum McFarlane will take over as interim head coach until the end of the season, with the aim of securing some form of European qualification. Chelsea also faces Leeds in the FA Cup semi-final this Sunday.
As Chelsea announces his dismissal, Sky Sports reports that the more Rosenior was allowed to implement his ideas, the worse the team performed. His win rate in his first eleven games was 72%, but this dropped to 25% in his last twelve matches. In total, he oversaw 11 wins, 2 draws, and 10 defeats in his brief spell, making him Chelsea’s shortest-serving manager ever, with just 23 games in four months.