Chelsea coach Liam Rosenior has seen the memes. He also knows the comparisons on social media with David Brent in the British version of The Office are spreading. Rosenior understands that many people are laughing at him, and his own children are showing him.
They like it very much! There is an article about my fashion sense, they say I dress quite well and my daughter finds that very funny. She hates my fashion sense!" - Rosenior said at the press conference before the match against West Ham.
But despite all the mockery, Rosenior is making laughter gradually disappear with the results on the field. Since taking over Chelsea at the beginning of the month, he has had 6 wins in 7 matches in all competitions.
The 3-2 victory over West Ham is of special significance. For the first time in Premier League history, Chelsea came back to win the match after being led by 2 goals in the first half. A few days earlier, they also came back to beat Napoli 3-2 in the Champions League. Two times escaping danger in the same week, and each time was a victory.
I hope it will be time for fans to say this is the best decision the club has ever made, but I can't focus on that" - Rosenior said about being appointed.
The match at Stamford Bridge seemed to be divided in two opposite scenarios. In the first 45 minutes, Chelsea played clearly poorly. As soon as referee Anthony Taylor blew the whistle for the end of the quarter, boos rose in the stands. West Ham deserved to lead. A ball from Jarrod Bowen went straight into the net in the seventh minute, before Crysencio Summerville launched a beautiful finish to double the gap.
A series of statistical details further reflect the sluggishness of The Blues in the first half. Alejandro Garnacho lost the ball 12 times before being substituted in halftime, Liam Delap was out of place with only 8 touches, and the central defender pair Benoit Badiashile and Trevoh Chalobah continuously mismatched, letting the opponent create many chances. Simply put, Chelsea being led 0-2 was completely deserved.
However, Rosenior did not hesitate to reverse course. With a stylish jacket, blue pants and white sneakers, he made three changes right after the break. And he also did not hide his philosophy.
If you look at my coaching history, you will see that I always make early changes. In Strasbourg too. Players understand that if they are substituted in the first half, it is for tactical reasons" - Rosenior said.
This time, all three substitutions took effect. Rosenior put Marc Cucurella and Wesley Fofana in the defense, and at the same time put Joao Pedro in the front line. All 3 goals of Chelsea afterwards were directly marked by new cards.
In the 57th minute, Fofana made an accurate high pass to the far post for Joao Pedro to jump high and head the ball to narrow the score. 13 minutes later, Cucurella reacted the fastest after the ball hit the crossbar, then headed the ball to equalize 2-2. This is also the first time in more than 3 years that Chelsea has two players coming on from the bench to score together in a Premier League match.
Drama was pushed to its peak in injury time. In the second minute of injury time, Enzo Fernandez was present at the right time in the penalty area to finish successfully after Joao Pedro's cross, completing the comeback and turning the second half into a performance marked by Rosenior.
When Rosenior replaced Enzo Maresca earlier this month, the initial reaction of many people was curiosity, even somewhat more mocking than expected. Maresca once helped Chelsea enter the top 4 of the Premier League, win the UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup, and was rumored to be able to replace Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
Rosenior came to Stamford Bridge with a profile including the period as Wayne Rooney's assistant at Derby County, a fairly successful period at Hull City and 18 promising months in Strasbourg.
However, the numbers are rising. Rosenior currently has a 5-game winning streak and is considered to have the best start in terms of achievements since Maurizio Sarri in 2018.
With a coach coming in mid-season, very few training sessions but 6 wins in 7 matches, that's not a bad start. As long as the team maintains the fighting spirit, energy and intensity like in the second half, the fans will always be by our side. I really want to be a part of this club," Rosenior added.
However, Rosenior's biggest challenge is probably just beginning. The early stage schedule is relatively favorable, and his only defeat - against Arsenal in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-finals - is also one of the few times Chelsea has faced a tough opponent since he took office.
The victory over West Ham is therefore not just 3 points. It is also a timely spiritual boost, before the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final at Arsenal's stadium.
