Liam Rosenior only stayed for 106 days as Chelsea's head coach, but from the second day, it was clear that this 41-year-old captain was not qualified for the job he was hired for.
In fact, from the very first day, his lack of senior coaching experience and the somewhat naive belief of BlueCo - Chelsea's owner - that Rosenior could move from Strasbourg to lead a star-studded dressing room at Stamford Bridge after Enzo Maresca was sacked, showed signs of instability.
Just over 24 hours after the first training session, Rosenior did not even participate in the squad selection or sit on the coaching bench in the match against Fulham. Instead, he chose to sit in the stands next to Behdad Eghbali at Craven Cottage, when Chelsea lost 1-2.
That was the first mistake, and also the starting point for a series of unconvincing decisions later.
The next mistakes became even clearer and more controversial. Those were strange statements about players "respecting the ball", empty words about procedures and synchronization, or giving tactical notes to Alejandro Garnacho in the 85th minute in the defeat to PSG.
His behavior and statements made Rosenior the focus of ridicule, even some former teammates did not recognize him. According to sources, this coach was heavily affected by criticism to the point of secretly confronting critics - a rare thing in a coach at a big club.
The mistake in the Fulham match is particularly important, because it exposes the lack of experience in understanding the Chelsea environment - which was once led by names like Mourinho, Ancelotti, Conte or Tuchel. Here, every action is scrutinized.
In the context that the team has just gone through a series of poor performances, an experienced coach will immediately make an impression to regain trust. But Rosenior stood aside, leaving fans reacting fiercely to the board of directors.
He appeared confident, but could not convince anyone. 3 months later, Chelsea lost 7/8 matches, including 5 consecutive defeats in the Premier League without scoring, leading to Rosenior being sacked.
Under his time, The Blues could not beat big opponents. They lost to Arsenal 3 times, lost to PSG in the Champions League, and continued to succumb to Man City and Man United.
Not only professional issues, internal management is also controversial. The suspension of Enzo Fernandez for 2 matches for a statement related to Real Madrid, while Marc Cucurella was not handled despite similar actions, seriously reduced Rosenior's prestige.
He himself also admitted that this was a "club decision", indirectly showing that he did not have full authority - which further made the players lose faith.
The core issue lies in the BlueCo model, where the coach is just a link. After Maresca was sacked for wanting to have a bigger voice, the continued selection of Rosenior shows unstable orientation.
Chelsea tried to build a system like Brighton, from personnel to philosophy, but the result was counterproductive. Rosenior - who is considered "obedient" - did not create the necessary power in the dressing room.
This defeat may force BlueCo to reconsider the entire strategy. Names like Xabi Alonso, Cesc Fabregas, Andoni Iraola or even Frank Lampard are being mentioned as alternative solutions.
Rosenior failed because he was not capable enough, but the bigger mistake lies with those who put him in that position. Chelsea not only lost points, but also lost credibility in their own operations.
