DEEP DIVE: ANALYZING LIAM ROSENIOR’S LIGUE 1 SUCCESS AND HIS CHELSEA BLUEPRINT
Liam Rosenior is set to replace Enzo Maresca at Chelsea. Discover his tactical plans and the staff he's bringing from Strasbourg.
Chelsea are close to naming Liam Rosenior as their new manager. He’s agreed to a key demand from the club, and he’s already told them he wants to bring his coaching team over from Strasbourg. Rosenior landed in London this past weekend to hammer out the final details after Enzo Maresca’s sudden exit on New Year’s Day. Right now, Rosenior runs Strasbourg, which belongs to the same BlueCo group that owns Chelsea.
Things are moving fast. Sources say Rosenior could be in the dugout as soon as Wednesday, when Chelsea plays Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Maresca’s abrupt departure kicked off this search—he left after falling out with the club’s higher-ups and a poor run of results. BlueCo quickly zeroed in on Rosenior because he fits their focus on youth and a possession-heavy style.
Rosenior, who used to play fullback for Fulham, Reading, and Brighton, has made a mark since taking over Strasbourg in early 2024. He led them to seventh in Ligue 1 last season, nabbing a spot in the 2025/26 Conference League. People have noticed how well he brings through young players and his fresh tactical approach.
Chelsea’s sporting directors have been impressed, too—Rosenior already knows several of them from earlier jobs. After a 1-1 draw with Nice on Saturday, Rosenior flew to London with Strasbourg president Marc Keller and sporting director David Weir on January 4.
Talks and formal interviews were picked up at Cobham. Interim boss Calum McFarlane, who just got a draw at Manchester City, looks set to step aside soon.
Rosenior wants to bring Justin Walker, Khalifa Cisse, and Filipe Coelho with him from Strasbourg. Only Coelho, who BlueCo hired last summer, seems certain to stay on and help during the transition. The club hasn’t signed off on the rest yet.
Don’t expect Chelsea to go wild in the January transfer window. The board thinks the squad is strong enough, and Rosenior gets that—he’s ready to work with what he’s got. Still, if a good deal pops up, they’ll look at it.
But there’s one thing BlueCo won’t ignore: they need the right person to replace Rosenior at Strasbourg. They know fans in France are wary of the multi-club setup, so they want a smooth switch. Gary O’Neil is in the mix—he’s managed Bournemouth and Wolves and is available right now. According to journalists Jacob Steinberg and Ben Jacobs, O’Neil is on Strasbourg’s final shortlist and is interested in taking over. A decision’s coming soon.
Some people wonder if this is all happening too fast for Rosenior, considering he’s only managed Derby County, Hull City, and recently Strasbourg. But Chelsea’s top brass believe he fits their long-term plan and understands the BlueCo vision.
Everyone’s waiting for the official word, but it looks like Rosenior will kick off his Chelsea career with a big one—back at Craven Cottage, facing his old club Fulham in a London derby.
WHY CHELSEA ARE BETTING ON LIAM DELAP’S LONG-TERM STAMFORD BRIDGE FUTURE
Not for sale: Discover why Chelsea is blocking Everton's move for Liam Delap and Rosenior's plans for the Arsenal derby.
Chelsea have some thinking to do about Liam Delap’s future at Stamford Bridge this summer. They really don’t want to let him go, even though Everton are sniffing around, according to Football Insider. The club just isn’t interested in selling; they want Delap around for next season. He’s signed until June 2031, so there’s no rush.
Right now, Chelsea sits fifth in the Premier League after 27 games. They’re just ahead of Liverpool on goal difference. Last time out, they drew 1-1 at home with Burnley. Not exactly the result they wanted.
Chelsea only picked up Delap from Ipswich Town last year. He was brought in to give their attack a boost, add some competition, and deepen the squad up front. The 23-year-old has played 25 times in all competitions this season, with 18 league appearances. He’s only managed two goals and four assists so far – not exactly lighting it up – but there’s still time for him to find his feet.
Delap’s taken the long road already. He started at Derby County, then joined Manchester City’s youth setup in 2019. He only made six first-team appearances for City, but he got loan moves to Stoke, Preston, and Hull in the Championship to toughen up and get more minutes. Ipswich signed him permanently in 2024, and then Chelsea came calling.
So, what’s next after that frustrating draw with Burnley? Chelsea have to head to the Emirates to face Arsenal this weekend. After the Burnley game, Liam Rosenior didn’t mince words. He said, “We’ve basically thrown away four points in two home games. That’s not good enough for a club like this. It’s not enough to just play well; we have to win. I know what needs to change, and we’ll work on it this week. Every game is an inquest, win or lose. I’m learning which players you can rely on when things get tough, and we need to fix that fast.”
WHY WESLEY FOFANA BELIEVES FOOTBALL’S ANTI-RACISM CAMPAIGNS ARE FAILING IN 2026
Football faces a crisis. Discover why Wesley Fofana and Hannibal Mejbri are demanding action after a weekend of racist abuse.
Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana didn’t hold back after he and Burnley’s Hannibal Mejbri were hit with racist abuse following Saturday’s 1-1 draw. “Nothing changes,” he wrote. “People are never punished.” Both players shared screenshots of the nasty messages sent to them on Instagram, just hours after the match at Stamford Bridge.
This all happened only days after UEFA started looking into Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior’s claims that Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni racially abused him during a Champions League game in Lisbon. That match had to be stopped for ten minutes after Vinicius, clearly shaken, refused to play on. Prestianni tried to cover his mouth with his shirt during the incident, but the damage was already done.
Back to Saturday night, Fofana, who’d been sent off late in the game for two yellow cards, posted some of the abuse he received and didn’t mince words: “2026, it’s still the same thing. These people are never punished. You create big campaigns against racism, but nobody actually does anything.” Mejbri also shared the messages he got, adding, “It’s 2026, and there are still people like that. Educate yourself and your kids, please.”
Chelsea responded quickly, calling the abuse “completely unacceptable” and saying it goes against everything the club stands for. “There is no room for racism,” they said. “We stand unequivocally with Wes. He has our full support, as do all our players who are too often forced to endure this hatred simply for doing their job. We will work with the authorities and platforms to find the people responsible and take the strongest action.”
Burnley echoed the sentiment: “There is no place for this in our society, and we condemn it unreservedly.”
Football’s handling of racism has been under the microscope lately, especially after what happened in Lisbon. Benfica manager Jose Mourinho stirred things up further by accusing Vinicius of provoking the incident, while the Portuguese club claimed their player was the victim of a defamation campaign.
As for the game itself, Chelsea looked set for a win until Burnley’s Zian Flemming headed in a stoppage-time equaliser, right after Fofana’s red card left Chelsea down a man. Fofana was sent off in the 72nd minute for a late challenge on James Ward-Prowse. Earlier, Joao Pedro’s fourth-minute goal seemed to put Liam Rosenior’s side on track for victory, but like so many times this season, they couldn’t finish off Scott Parker’s struggling team. The match ended all square, but the bigger story was what happened off the pitch.
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