Chelsea chiefs have been tasked with drawing up a plan to replace Liam Rosenior – in case they decide to part ways with their boss even before Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.
The head coach’s position is under major scrutiny after a disastrous run of form. Tuesday night’s 3-0 drubbing at Brighton was their fifth league defeat in a row without scoring – the first time they have endured such a run since 1912.
Rosenior has been in charge for 23 games in all competitions and seen his side lose 10 of them. The Brighton defeat left them seventh in the table and facing a struggle to qualify for Europe with four games remaining.
And Behdad Eghbali, co-chair of Chelsea’s majority owners Clearlake Capital, is understood to have asked his leadership team, headed by sporting directors, Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, to come up with a short-term contingency plan.
That could still mean Rosenior is given the opportunity to lead them out in the weekend’s FA Cup semi-final against Leeds, but the club understand that their project is at a crucial stage and big decisions will have to be made.
Supporters have registered their anger with the owning BlueCo consortium, and protested outside Stamford Bridge before the home defeat by Manchester United on Saturday.
Chelsea chiefs have been tasked with drawing up a plan to replace Liam Rosenior
Behdad Eghbali, co-chair of Chelsea’s majority owners Clearlake Capital, has asked sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley to come up with a short-term contingency plan
Tuesday night’s 3-0 drubbing at Brighton was their fifth league defeat in a row without scoring and leaves them 7th in the Premier League table
Rosenior, 41, was appointed on a six-and-a-half-year contract in January after the dismissal of Enzo Maresca and Eghbali, Stewart and Winstanley were all on the south coast to see fans call for his head during the humiliation by Brighton, just three months into his tenure.
The ex-Strasbourg boss hit out at his players after the game, branding their performance and attitude unacceptable.
‘I keep coming out and defending the players – but that’s indefensible, that performance,’ he said.
‘The manner of the goals we conceded, the amount of duels that we lost, the lack of intensity in the team. Something needs to change drastically right now.
‘I think the players need to have a look in the mirror for what they put in. You can talk about tactics… tactics come after the basics.
‘Having more courage to play, winning duels, winning headers, tackles, conceding terrible goals. That was an unacceptable performance tonight.’
