Liam Rosenior urges Chelsea fans to ‘judge what you see, not what you hear’ | OneFootball

New Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior appealed to supporters’ patience in proving he is “worthy” of the job at Stamford Bridge.

The 41-year-old’s appointment has not been greeted with universal approval from fans, with one bone of contention that he has been brought in as the easy option having previously worked for Chelsea’s sister club Strasbourg.

The former Derby and Hull manager acknowledged that there was work to do if he wishes one day to be talked about in the same breath as Premier League title-winning bosses Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and Antonio Conte.

“Jose Mourinho said it took him years to become an overnight success,” said Rosenior. “It’s the same for anyone. You’re not a name until you become a name.

“I look at some coaches who are considered world class now, they were given an opportunity. They took the opportunity.

“I’m in a fantastically privileged situation that I’m going to do my very, very best to take advantage of. Judge what you see, don’t judge what you hear.

“Judge what you see on the pitch. Don’t even judge my press conference, I’m just being myself. Give myself, my staff and my players the chance to prove that we’re worthy.

“Judge us and be fair. If the performances aren’t good enough, I’ll be the first one to say. I’ll hold my hands up.”

Rosenior has his work cut out to restore harmony between Chelsea and its supporters.

There has been dissatisfaction with the way BlueCo has run the club during its three and a half years of ownership.

That was reflected in the results published on Tuesday of a poll conducted by the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust that revealed only 1.3 per cent of fans believe the club is being run in a way that will produce sustained on-field success during the next three to five years.

Stamford Bridge has seen its share of discontent expressed during BlueCo’s ownership, with each of the owners’ three previous permanent appointments – Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino and Enzo Maresca – all coming in for vocal and, at times, bitter criticism from supporters.

None of those three managers have commanded fans’ affections in anything like the way the club’s title-winning bosses enjoyed, but Rosenior is out to forge a connection through the football his team plays.

“Fans are so important for the atmosphere in the stadium, home and away,” he said. “They make a massive difference to the energy of the place.

“I want a brave, fearless, front-footed team who aren’t afraid to make mistakes. When you’ve got Stamford Bridge behind you, I’ve been there, it’s so difficult to play there for the opposition.

“Give our players the chance to be successful and let them be happy. I want to create really strong connections with (the fans).”