Liam Rosenior sack claims thrown out as Chelsea boss is told instant way to silence critics – Exclusive | OneFootball

Claims that Chelsea have serious concerns over Liam Rosenior and have already lined up an elite replacement for him in the Stamford Bridge dug-out have been played down, with a Blues great exclusively revealing to TEAMtalk of the uphill struggle the 41-year-old rookie boss faces in trying to win over the doubters.

Rosenior was the somewhat surprising choice by BlueCo to lead the south-west London club through the remainder of the season and beyond after calling time on the Enzo Maresca era and with the Italian, who had won two trophies with Chelsea last season, somewhat surprisingly shown the door by the club on January 1.

Just five days later, Blueco had secured a raid on sister club Strasbourg to bring Rosenior in as the new boss, the 41-year-old signing a contract through to June 2032, with the length of the commitment surprising many.

But just 70 days into his reign, speculation is already beginning to emerge that Rosenior may not be the one for Chelsea in the long run following a difficult week that saw them beaten 5-2 at PSG in the first leg of the Champions League last-16 tie, before Saturday’s 1-0 home reverse against Newcastle in the Premier League.

Off the back of those successive losses, a report on Sunday suggested Luis Enrique had been lined up as a top-tier replacement by the Blues if they were to decide on a change of direction.

In light of all that, TEAMtalk sat down with former Blues title-winner Wayne Bridge to ask him if he felt Rosenior had the tools to make a success of the Chelsea job.

“It’s really hard to say if he’s capable (of delivering the biggest trophies), because you’ve got to have the resources to do it,” Bridge told us on behalf of 10bet.

“I’m not sure if the Chelsea squad at the moment is a squad that goes on to win the Premier League, so that makes it very difficult.

“But from what I’ve seen and what I’ve heard of Rosenior, I think his management, and his man-management, is quite good.

“Yes, it was a bit disappointing the other day (against PSG in the Champions League) – the last 16 minutes and how the game slipped away from them. I was a bit shocked when he took [Joao] Pedro and [Cole] Palmer off.

“But to put it all on him, I think it comes down to the resources and the players he’s got.”

Rosenior sack? Chelsea boss told how he can silence the doubters

Bridge, who played 142 times for Chelsea between 2003 and 2009 before leaving for Manchester City, believes Rosenior has a lot going for him but does accept there is one thing he must do at the very least to keep the wolves from his door.

“I do like him a lot, and I like the way he speaks,” Bridge continued.

“I think as a young manager, especially one who hasn’t won anything elsewhere yet, he’s always going to come under a lot of criticism in the Premier League, particularly at a club like Chelsea.

“Chelsea is a club that are used to competing in the Champions League. Securing qualification for that will be really important for him.”

Bridge also feels Chelsea’s owners need to avoid the temptation of falling into the trap of constantly chopping and changing their managers, insisting that consistency is key to help the club build towards a period of sustained success.

“These days, sometimes clubs just swap managers too easily. “But then what progress will the next manager make if they’re still dealing with the same squad?

“Ultimately, for Chelsea to deliver the biggest trophies, they need to improve the squad first and foremost because there are still a couple of upgrades they could benefit from this summer.”

Chelsea latest: Blues’ Messi link (no, not that one!); race on for Bournemouth star

On the transfer front, TEAMtalk exclusively revealed on Sunday that French starlet Rayane Messi is being lined up for a future move to Stamford Bridge, despite growing interest from several of Europe’s biggest clubs. More details of the projected move for the teenager with the very eye-catching surname can be found here.

Elsewhere, David Ornstein has revealed the details on Reece James’ new deal with Chelsea, who are now only one ‘unbelievable’ signing from being unstoppable.

Meanwhile, Manchester United are reportedly ready to go head-to-head with Chelsea and a number of other clubs in the race to sign an outstanding young Bundesliga talent this summer.

Finally, the Premier League transfer market is turning towards Bournemouth’s midfield dynamo, Tyler Adams, with the Red Devils one of the frontrunners for his signature – .