Liam Rosenior responds as Cole Palmer warns of 'change' if Chelsea fall short of Champions League | OneFootball

Blues losing touch with top five after dismal spell as players begin to worry

Liam Rosenior has explained why he disagrees with Cole Palmer’s claim that “everything changes” depending on whether Chelsea qualify for the Champions League.

Saturday’s defeat to Manchester United on a weekend when top-five rivals Aston Villa and Liverpool both claimed last-minute wins left Chelsea as outsiders to finish in one of the Champions League spots for next season.

Before kick-off, Palmer gave an interview in which he told TNT Sports that ‘everything changes’ if Chelsea fail to qualify for Europe’s premier competition.

Rosenior disagreed with is No10’s statement, though, insisting his plans would not waver.

The Chelsea head coach said: “I actually got sent Cole’s interview. I thought it was an outstanding interview by someone who cares about the football club.

“Not everything changes — but what I don’t want to do is sit here and talk about us not qualifying for the Champions League, because we’re still fighting for it.

“The reality is, does everything change? No. The plan, in terms of what this team needs and what we need to be successful, doesn’t. The context around that does. So, money, especially finances, that type of thing.”

The 41-year-old added: “We’re all aligned, regardless of whether we’re in the Champions League or not, and what this team needs, long-term, to be successful. So everything doesn’t change; it just makes it a lot easier if we are in the Champions League.”

It was put to Rosenior that Brighton have had success in recent years with a young squad — like Chelsea’s — but that there are also experienced heads such as James Milner and Lewis Dunk in and amongst it, something Chelsea lack.

There is a suggestion Chelsea may soften their stance this summer and target more experienced players.

“Every club is different,” Rosenior said of Brighton, where he finished his playing career back in 2018.

“You need a mix of things to be successful. Brighton have gone about it in their own. We want to go about it in our way too.

“We need to be calmer. We need to be more emotionally stable as a football team and a football club.”