Alan Shearer has insisted ‘everything feeds down from the bosses’ after assessing Chelsea as a ‘bonkers’ club following the sacking of Liam Rosenior.
Rosenior was dismissed by the Blues on Wednesday after a 3-0 defeat at Brighton condemned them to a fifth straight Premier League defeat without scoring a goal.
The 41-year-old was appointed on a six-and-a-half year deal by Chelsea on January 6, following Enzo Maresca’s shock departure on New Year’s Day, but lasted just 106 days in the Stamford Bridge hotseat.
Speaking to Betfair, former England and Newcastle striker Shearer was sympathetic to Rosenior, as he insisted there was ‘no way’ he could have turned down the Chelsea job when approached in December.
Shearer stressed that the Chelsea owners BlueCo need to ‘look at themselves’ over their decision to appoint an inexperienced coach, while labelling their approach as ‘bonkers’.
He claimed it was ‘laughable’ that the club have over a billion pounds on players, only to be short of quality in key areas of the team.
Liam Rosenior was sacked as Chelsea head coach on Wednesday after less than four months in the role
Alan Shearer insisted Chelsea’s hierarchy needs to ‘look at themselves’ following Rosenior’s sacking
Shearer took aim at Chelsea’s hierarchy for spending over a billion pounds on players only to be lacking in quality in key areas of the pitch
‘Everything eventually filters down to the pitch from what’s going on up top in football,’ Shearer told Betfair.
‘Everything feeds down from the bosses and that’s what’s happened to Chelsea. The players are on an absolute fortune, and you can tell they do not agree with what is happening at the club, albeit they are a huge part of it. They were alright taking the seven-year contracts.
‘The players have been nowhere near good enough. I watched them against Brighton, and they were an absolute shambles. The manager was searching to do something different with a new system at half-time, but they were equally as poor, if not worse, in the second half. That tells you what players think of the current setup.
‘It is laughable how much money Chelsea have spent and still don’t have top quality players.
‘It all depends for Chelsea going forward towards the end of the season on what their belief is like. Are they prepared to change? Clearly, this model is not working, and they have to understand that.
‘They have spent an absolute fortune, over a billion pounds, and they still have not got a top-class goalkeeper, centre half, or centre forward. How do you spend that much money and lack top quality players in those three major positions?
‘You spend that much money and that’s the reality of it, you’re going further and further down the league. There’s no doubt there’s talented players in there, but it’s laughable you spend that much money and still don’t have a top-quality player in those three positions.’
Shearer’s criticism mirrors similar views from Gary Neville, who claimed on Wednesday that Chelsea’s owners ‘haven’t got a clue what they’re doing’.
Gary Neville criticised Chelsea for the decision and hit out at the club’s owners in a scathing verdict
BlueCo’s ownership of Chelsea has been widely criticised by the club’s fanbase
‘This policy at Chelsea, this plan, I don’t see it,’ Neville told Sky Sports. ‘These six and eight-year agreements that they give – it’s almost laughable from the start, whether it be for a manager or a player.
‘The owners haven’t got a clue what they are doing. I’ve made massive mistakes as an owner and sometimes you’ve got to accept you don’t know what you’re doing.
‘They are all over the place. I just don’t get it. You deserve what you get in football and that’s every single ownership, and it’s a reflection upon them, not the coach.’
Rosenior joined the Blues from their sister club Strasbourg but took charge of only 23 matches before being axed.
Chelsea’s dismal run has left their hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League hanging by a thread.
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The Blues slipped to seventh in the Premier League on Tuesday night, with Brighton leapfrogging them in the table. They are seven points behind fifth-placed Liverpool, who have a game in hand.
Chelsea dropped to eighth on Wednesday after Bournemouth earned a point following a 2-2 draw with Leeds.
When confirming Rosenior’s exit earlier in the day, Chelsea had highlighted their pursuit of European qualification and progression in the FA Cup as factors behind their decision to part ways.
Chelsea said in a statement: ‘Chelsea Football Club has today parted company with Head Coach Liam Rosenior.
‘On behalf of everyone at Chelsea FC, we would like to place on record our gratitude to Liam and his staff for all their efforts during their time with the club.
‘Liam has always conducted himself with the highest integrity and professionalism following his appointment mid-way through the season.
‘This has not been a decision the Club has taken lightly, however recent results and performances have fallen below the necessary standards with still so much more to play for this season. Everyone at Chelsea FC wishes Liam every success in the future.
‘Calum McFarlane will take charge of the team as Interim Head Coach until the end of the season with support from existing Club backroom staff, as we strive to achieve European qualification and progress in the FA Cup.
‘As the Club works to bring stability to the Head Coach position, we will undertake a process of self-reflection to make the right long-term appointment.’
