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.
XAVI OPENLY DECLARES INTEREST IN CHELSEA JOB DURING PERMANENT MANAGER SEARCH
With Xabi Alonso and Andoni Iraola on the shortlist, explore why Xavi Hernández wants to take over the Chelsea hotseat next.
Xavi has openly said he’d love to manage Chelsea, and now the Blues are hunting for someone to replace Liam Rosenior.
Rosenior got the sack last month after a rough patch just three months into his huge contract that was supposed to last six and a half years. Calum McFarlane is filling in as interim head coach until season’s end, but Chelsea are actively looking for a permanent boss for the 2026/27 campaign.
They're considering some big names. Xabi Alonso’s been mentioned; he’s been out of work since leaving Real Madrid in January. Andoni Iraola, who’s about to leave Bournemouth, is also on the shortlist.
Cesc Fabregas has been linked after his strong run at Como, and Frank Lampard’s in the mix too, fresh off winning the Championship with Coventry and securing promotion.
But Xavi really stands out. He’s already made it clear he’s interested in the Chelsea job. Back in 2019, before his Barcelona return, he said, “I don’t hide it; my goal is to come back to Europe and to Barca. It's my challenge, but I’m enjoying this current project. For me, training a team in Barcelona would be a privilege, the biggest privilege.”
He didn’t just talk about Spain either. “Honestly, who doesn’t love the Premier League? The atmosphere, packed stadiums, everyone says it’s incredible,” Xavi admitted. “If I had to pick, I’d go for a big team: City, United, Chelsea, Arsenal, or Tottenham. Klopp, Pochettino, and Unai Emery are doing amazing work there.”
After returning to Barcelona in 2021, Xavi led them to a La Liga title and the Supercopa de España before Hansi Flick took over in 2024. He’s been out of work since.
Now, Chelsea seems seriously interested in the Spaniard. According to The i, the club wants someone who can embed a strong football identity across their teams, something Enzo Maresca started.
Getting Xavi won’t be easy, though. Morocco’s national team reportedly sees him as a top candidate to replace Walid Regragui, and Manchester United is eyeing him too as they weigh options beyond Michael Carrick.
Meanwhile, Xabi Alonso is the bookmakers’ favourite for the Chelsea role, but word is he’d want more control over club decisions if he moves to west London.
COLE PALMER MISSES PENALTY AS CHELSEA SUFFER HISTORIC SIXTH CONSECUTIVE LEAGUE DEFEAT
Chelsea matched a 1912 record with their 6th straight loss, falling 3-1 to Forest as Taiwo Awoniyi scored twice at the Bridge.
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Chelsea hit rock bottom again, losing 3-1 to Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge. That’s six Premier League defeats in a row now, something the club hadn’t seen since 1912. Just when you thought the season couldn’t get any worse, Forest showed up with a makeshift lineup and absolutely stunned them. Taiwo Awoniyi scored twice, one barely a minute into the match, and then Igor Jesus put away a penalty, and suddenly Forest was six points clear of the drop zone.
Chelsea hadn’t scored in five games, and it looked like that streak would go on forever. Then, in stoppage time, Joao Pedro finally managed an overhead kick to break the drought. That run was made even more ridiculous earlier when Cole Palmer missed a first-half penalty. Matz Sels, Forest’s backup goalkeeper, saved it.
Honestly, the crowd in the Shed End probably barely recognised their own team. Pereira swapped in seven new outfield players, most of them with almost no league experience; he was clearly thinking about the upcoming Europa League semi-final. But it looked like Chelsea was the stranger out there.
Things only got worse for interim head coach Calum McFarlane. He lost Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho to late injuries, so 18-year-old Jesse Derry had to make his Premier League debut. Then, late in the first half, Derry collided heads with Forest’s Zach Abbott and had to be stretchered off after getting oxygen. It was brutal to watch.
The match itself? Chaos. Less than two minutes in, Chelsea messed up their own throw-in and let Forest stroll through midfield. Dilane Bakwa beat Marc Cucurella with little effort and crossed to Awoniyi, who was completely unmarked and headed it in.
Fifteen minutes later, Chelsea conceded again. Bakwa whipped in another cross; Malo Gusto pulled Awoniyi’s shirt, and VAR handed Forest a penalty. Jesus hammered it right down the middle.
The first half was hopeless, and by the end, serious concern set in after that nasty head clash between Derry and Abbott. Abbott, playing just his second league game, left on his own, but Derry needed serious treatment and was stretchered off.
After a nearly ten-minute stoppage, Palmer’s penalty was stopped by Sels. At halftime, Levi Colwill returned from a major injury he hadn’t played since tearing his ACL in August. He tried to restore order, but nothing changed.
Forest’s third goal came just seven minutes into the second half. Gibbs-White crossed, and Awoniyi tapped in from close range, just managing to stay onside. Chelsea’s keeper, Robert Sanchez, took a knock and left with a bandaged head after colliding with Gibbs-White.
Pedro’s late goal barely counted for anything. The few Chelsea fans left in the stadium cheered, but it was more out of irony than joy.
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