Liam Rosenior ‘looked like a tea girl’ as Chelsea join Man City in collapse | OneFootball

After Chelsea were slapped on the wrist by the Premier League, Liam Rosenior was embarrassed by PSG while Man City fared little better.

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The big question from last night

Sadly I missed the Chelsea humping by PSG. Can anyone confirm whether or not they at least properly respected the ball? Many thanks. Mike, WHU

Eight Conclusions on the Champions League debacle

I was tempted to wait until Liverpool, Newcastle and Dr. Tottenham play their second round matches today, but decided otherwise.

1. The Premier League is mortally wounded, and is the laughing stock of Europe.

2. The Premier League is the richest in the world but not with the best teams for European adventure.

3. After the round of sixteen first leg matches in the champions league, the English teams had conceded 16 goals!

4. Guardiola knew what was coming when City were paired with Real Madrid for the third time in a row. No wonder, he appeared for yesterday’s return fixture dressed as if he were on his way to the airport going to Mallorca for end-of-the-season holiday. There was no passion from him during the entire match as he had given up.

5. Rosenior looked like a tea girl in Luis Enrique’s office. He was out of his depth and had no clue what to do. I feel for the Chelsea supporters who are being taken for granted by the ClearLake or DirtySea owners. I have nothing against Rosenior, but being appointed the Head coach of Chelsea while his only engagement in England previously was with Hull City smacks of swindler owners. Chelsea are in danger of missing out completely on Europe next season despite having 101 registered players all over the world. I felt the pain of the fans as they left in droves when the third PSG goal went in. They deserve better.

6. Financial impropriety and doping (Read Chelsea and City (115 charges) will not save you at the hour of reckoning. The two richest clubs in England have conspired to ship in 13 goals between them in the round of 16. Good grief!

7. The much derided set piece fc might be the saviours of England going forward. They scored two glorious goals against Leverkusen. Boy, were those set piece goals!

8. I will not have the energy to write more conclusions after today’s matches involving Liverpool, Newcastle and Tottenam. Yiembe (Ardent Gooner) Mombasa, Kenya

All or nothing for Rosenior now

Unless Rosenior is able to make this Chelsea team take advantage of the kind run in the FA Cup and actually win the thing I think its curtains for him at Chelsea.

You don’t oversee record-equalling European defeats and poor stuttering league form putting next season’s European hopes in doubt and not face consequences. Chelsea have a famously inexperienced young squad the least the ownership can do is provide and experienced top level manager to teach them, someone like an Unai Emery would be great.

There’s lots of problems at Chelsea but realistically we can only hope for so much to happen and changing the manager is the most likely way things will go anyway. Aaron. CFC. Ireland

Arsenal increased their level

Arteta said Arsenal needed to increase the level for the Leverkusen game, and increase the level they did. Here’s my incoherent observations.

An excellent start with good tempo was similar to the Everton game, but the Leverkusen keeper was having one of those games and I feared either a sucker punch, or we’d need something extra special.

The first goal, wow. As soon as Eze was on the half turn, I was thinking “hit it”, I didn’t realize he’d hit it that well. It was like a hybrid of Henry and prime Sanchez.

I have stated that Will Ford may not necessarily be a poor writer, but a writer of poor Arsenal articles he certainly is. He just can’t hide his Chelsea Bias. Everything he writes, he crowbars Arsenal in to. His dislike is too obvious and he should focus on respecting the ball and writing about his Rent-a-quote manager. I thought Jonny Nic was spot on btw.

Not too long ago Ford was saying Eze was essentially a flop, but it’s clear a corner has been turned for Eze.

If players get patience for a few months when adjusting to a Pep Guardiola system, chances are it’s the same at Arsenal under Arteta. Rice publicly said so himself. Even Rodri (probably the best anchor midfielder I’ve ever seen took a few months). Why can’t Eze, Gyokeres, etc. also get the same leeway?

On Gyokeres, he’s had some anonymous games, but he was excellent tonight. I think he’ll always look clumpy, but the work he puts in, and the way he stretches teams perhaps isn’t appreciated by viewers.

One of my frustrations with him is he doesn’t cut across the near post for tap-ins enough and appears to favour the far post and gets blocked off. He could watch some Giroud highlights, near post was a strength of his. I also think he gets involved in tussles a little too much, and should perhaps be a bit more stealth, but ultimately he’s turned two 0-0s with Everton into wins, that’s four extra points…We had far too many draws last season. He’ll never be my favorite, but I think the players appreciate him, and I do too.

The midfield was class. Rice came across as a bit Billy big bollox in January/Feb, he’s clearly desperate to win at Arsenal but was too demonstrative. Rice was excellent tonight, capped with a fine, perfectly placed goal.

Last point… another clean sheet. I love Timber as a defender, but it’s noticable to me how much quicker White plays the ball, or is that just my perception? Timber tends to stand on it a lot, and slows us down.

We’ve come a long way from that Wolves game and whatever happens on Sunday, I don’t think we’ll end the season trophy-less, and we may just be the last English team in the champions league after Wednesdays games. Strevs, AFC, Canada

(We beat Madrid with Merino as our striker, Pep has no excuses).

Even Madrid fans feel a bit funny though

I should be jumping at the penalty, but it’s not a great way to win.

Referee has spoiled the game which has started with so much promise and entertainment.

Not a penalty when his hands are folded. If anyone claims it’s a handball, how did they confirm the ball below the sleeve? Madrid fan

Bring the Spanish legend back to Liverpool

It’s fairly obvious Slot is just seeing out his time now. The time for the Spaniard has arrived.

There’s never been a more obvious choice, he ticks all the boxes. He’s one of the best young managers around, a former Liverpool player and a crowd favorite – with a proven ability to develop young players and an excellent record in European competitions.

And he’ll be available in the summer after being unceremoniously kicked to the curb by Real Madrid.

Welcome back to Anfield, Alvaro Arbeloa. RH, NYC

What’s wrong with Liverpool?

Many mails on this and about if Arnie should be sacked or not. If we go out of the Champions league tomorrow and are knocked out of the FA cup by City(115), then I think that is a good possibility. Giving any new manager (Alonso) time to review the current squad and prepare for next season both incoming and outgoing transfers!

I’m not sure Slot has had as much say in the transfers as Jurgen did, but whoever it was down to, heads should roll.

The whole Isaak farce was a disgrace, we pondered so long on a transfer that, having already signed Ekitike, we just didn’t need. Instead what we really needed were two strong attacking, aggressive, flexible, wingers (right and left) to replace Diaz & Nunez who were so important to our pressing game. No one could foresee the drop-off in Salah’s performances but at least a second winger who can play left or right may have helped the situation. Salah needs to be sold at the end of the season – full stop.

A lot of fans are calling for more game time for Rio and Chiesa. I think Rio is one for the future and game time should be managed, but he has a long way to go. Technically very gifted however his final passes and shooting has plenty of room for improvement. I like Chiesa as a squad player, but he is not up the standard required to be a starter in and LFC team.

Gakpo is not strong enough and does not press enough to be a Liverpool starter on the left. In that position he is a one trick pony. He would be my back-up to Ekitike.

Wirtz, I think will come good and will go on to be an excellent player for Liverpool. However, two things need to happen. He needs to play in a sort of roving number 10 position (He also is not a left winger) and he needs to learn how and when to shoot. Too often he tries to overcook it and gives the ball away or ends up with a weak shot. Bring God (Robbie) in for a couple of weeks to give him some shooting practice and movement around the box.

I’m happy with our first-choice midfield, when all are fit and playing in their right positions. Szobo, Gravenberch and Macallister (when fully fit), I just think Macca is having an off season and started the season not fit. Curtis is a good sub, but not good enough to be a starter. The team should be built around Szobo, who should be the next captain when Virgil steps down.

Frimpong – we never should have bought him. He’s a good player (who I like) but he is not strong enough at right back and does not have the finishing of a right sided attacker. He played great for BL as a wing back as Alonso played with a back three, but this current Liverpool squad do not – although Xabi may change this!

Konate needs to shit or get off the pot! Either you’re staying or leaving. Either way, we needed another strong central defender. A real mistake by the recruitment team here, which has really cost us this season.

Virgil probably has another season in him, but he now needs another strong CB that he can depend on and not worry about covering for all the time. After that he will probably be edged out.

Kirkez, I like and he will probably come good, but he needed to be eased in a bit more. I’d still give Robbo another year as back-up. Another LB would not be my priority.

Alisson has just been given another season, which I’m happy about. He’s been a great servant to our club and the future does look bright after he leaves.

Anyway, that’s my take on it and the longest mail I’ve ever written to F365. Neil, LFC, USA

Quite a restrained email I thought from Esco Pablabar, El Presidente De NoseBag FC, but to say Chelsea may have got off lightly and the PL looks to be struggling to enforce it’s own rules is more than a tad understated. Let’s face it it’s not even a slap on the wrist compared to the electrodes to the nether regions handed out to Forest and Everton.

I prefer to call a spade a spade. To me it’s exactly what it looks like – the PL deciding they no longer have to bother even trying to hide the blatant favouritism towards the Sky 6 elite rich boys. Geopolitical influences or not (and I’m sure they play their part even if they should have no place in sport) what I see is, in my humble opinion, nothing less than bias, perpetrated by an organisation that knows they aren’t accountable to anyone but themselves.

I’m not alone in that as you will know from various sets of fans frequently singing “Premier League, Corrupt as F**K” every game-day these days. But they do as they please, and anyone who disagrees with them can go and do one. Just like UEFA bending over for Real Madrid , Barca and Juventus, giving them their super league by the back door. And then there’s that pin-headed fruitcake at FIFA who can apparently feel anything except ashamed, guilty, humble or embarrassed.

And let’s not overlook a possible ulterior motive here. If the PL get away with this wholly inadequate response to serial financial misdemeanours over a number of years, then surely they can get away with giving 115 Charges FC a similar not quite slap on the wrist instead of the multiple relegations and fines in the hundreds of millions they deserve. Because they’ll have set a precedent you see, a nice little softener, and no damage to the UK/UAE relationship. Everyone’s happy. Everyone except honest decent football supporters who yearn for the days of relatively level playing fields, fair competition and just a hint of integrity, both sporting and moral.

Easy isn’t it this fiddling lark, when no-one can gainsay you with any real sway. I’m a bit old and tired to do it myself but I really hope someone somewhere will instigate a petition to get this biased treatment and unfair competition discussed in parliament, or bring a class action under anti-competition law against this particular travesty, the undeniably anti-competitive and unfair financial rules, and the PL and UEFA in general.

The whole thing stinks worse than Infantino’s head after he’s removed it from a certain presidential crevice (I imagine). Kevin Villa (if it walks like a duck etc.)

…I cannot believe how lightly Chelsea have been punished for the ‘not only obvious and deliberate breaches of the rules but … deception and concealment in relation to financial matters’. In fact, upon reflection, they have barely been sanctioned at all, merely fined the equivalent of a ‘bomb squad’ random acquisition. The suspended transfer embargo is nothing.

The one signing that stands out amongst those secured with the assistance of the rule breaching multi million pound incentives is Eden Hazard. A player who was in high demand and who was a key part of the successful Chelsea teams of his era. It is hard to prove the counter factual, but it is not a stretch to imagine that they would have won fewer trophies, and their rivals more has he joined another team. The sliding doors moment of his decision to join Chelsea rather than, for example, Manchester United, was influenced by illicit payments.

How much of their current status has been built on the success of that period, or even the reinvestment of the huge fee they received from Real Madrid?

‘But Chelsea are under new owners!’, I hear you say’. Indeed, but new owners inherit all the liabilities of a company that they take over. ‘But they identified the problems and self reported!’, I hear you say. Quite, but they still broke the rules and should have a commensurate punishment, with time off for good behaviour. If a murderer turn themself into the police and admits their crime, you would still expect them to get a (reduced) custodial sentence, not just community service.

The lenient punishment; the lack of action on the 115; and the swift points deductions for non big six teams who fell foul of regulations, makes you wonder if the PL are operating in fear of those clubs who were look on to break away and join the European Superleague. Avoiding upsetting them in order to keep them onboard. Ollie P

…Apropos of nothing, a bit of perspective about how big £10 million is:

Picking a club at random… let’s see… I know, how about Chelsea… When £10m was last a big enough sum to break CHELSEA’s transfer record, it was 1999 and they were buying Chris Sutton.

Of the 14 players CHELSEA used at the weekend, 13 did not exist when Sutton was bought. Mr Linkedin Inbetweeners Ball Respectah was a full 15 years old, and there is not a doubt in my mind that he had a girlfriend who went to a different school during the Mambo no5 era.

Seeing as we’re here, sticking with CHELSEA, the accumulated wages paid to Mykhailo Mudryk since his Jan 2023 transfer would have pushed past the £10m mark at about November last year.

Also, CHELSEA captain Reece James’ shiny new contract should net him £10m by the end of 2026 just from the new base rate, even if – imagine! – he’s actually injured forever and doesn’t kick a ball again until next year.

So as we can all see, £10m is a mighty large sum of money for a club like CHELSEA. Frankly, were they deprived of this Smaug/Scrooge McDuck pile of money, they’d be in big trouble. Yes sir! No need for the threat of points deductions or any of that flim-flam.