What on earth is going on at Stamford Bridge? Liam Rosenior has been appointed Chelsea head coach on a six-year deal, but he couldn't even be bothered to take charge of his first Premier League match. The result? Another defeat. Another shambles.
Chelsea lost 2-1 at Craven Cottage on Wednesday night. Fulham. Their neighbours. A side they should be beating with their eyes closed. Instead, Marc Cucurella saw red after 22 minutes for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity, and the Blues crumbled like a stale biscuit.
Rosenior was sat in the stands. Watching. Just watching. U21 boss Calum McFarlane was still pulling the strings from the touchline.
"I flew in from Strasbourg yesterday morning, so it is a difficult time frame for me to get in the tactical work I want," Rosenior told Sky Sports before kick-off. Difficult time frame? Mate, you've just been handed one of the biggest jobs in world football. Get your boots on the grass and earn your money.
The optics are dreadful. Here's a manager who's never coached in the Premier League, given a contract until 2032 — longer than most players get — and his first act is to delegate. It doesn't exactly scream confidence, does it?
Harry Wilson curled in a lovely winner for Fulham in the second half. Raúl Jiménez had opened the scoring earlier, and even though Noni Madueke pulled one back, Chelsea never looked like rescuing anything from a game they'd made impossible for themselves.
This is now Chelsea's fourth defeat in six matches across all competitions. They're sliding down the table faster than a greased pig on an ice rink.
Let's talk about the appointment itself. BlueCo have gone from Thomas Tuchel — a Champions League winner — to Liam Rosenior, a man who was sacked by Hull City 18 months ago. Hull. In the Championship. You couldn't make it up.
Yes, he did well at Strasbourg. Seventh in Ligue 1 last season. European qualification for the first time in 19 years. But this is Chelsea. The expectations are stratospheric. The pressure is relentless. And now you've got supporters wondering if the owners have completely lost the plot.
Rosenior becomes the club's fourth permanent manager since Todd Boehly's consortium took over in 2022. That's one every nine months, give or take. At this rate, they'll need a revolving door installed at Cobham just for the gaffers.
His first game in charge will be the FA Cup tie against Charlton on Saturday. League One opposition. If Chelsea can't handle that, the knives will be out before he's even unpacked his bags.
Good luck, Liam. You're going to need it.
