Chelsea dressing room ‘stunned’ by manager news – ‘Keep an eye on this’
Chelsea staff and players were left shocked by Enzo Maresca’s departure on New Year’s Day although it did not come as a total surprise.
That is according to former Man United and Blackburn chief scout Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected within the game, as he exclusively told Football Insider that some players were left disappointed by the manager’s decision.
Maresca quit Chelsea in dramatic fashion on New Year’s Day against a backdrop of frustrations with the board and their backing and support of his job.
However, the sudden deterioration in their relationship over the last few weeks has also caused uncertainty in the dressing room and amongst the players.
Many of Chelsea‘s star players had forged strong relationships with the boss, enjoyed playing under him, and will no doubt feel his exit was unnecessary.
Chelsea players response to Enzo Maresca exit revealed
Chelsea beat Everton 2-0 earlier this month, but it was Maresca’s outburst which grabbed headlines, as he claimed it had been “the worst 48 hours” during his time at the club.
Brown, who has a wealth of experience working closely alongside elite-level managers including Sir Alex Ferguson for over a decade at Man United, insisted that the players will not have been pleased with Maresca’s decision to walk away.
“I can’t imagine the players were happy about it,” he told Football Insider.
“A lot of them have arrived at Chelsea under him and been working with him since, he’ll have strong relationships there, so it will have come as a shock.
“I’m not sure many at Chelsea would have been surprised because he seemed to be hinting at it for a while, but that doesn’t make it less of a shock.
“It’s going to be a bit of a concern and you’ll want to see the reaction of some of these players long-term when the new manager comes in.
“They looked alright against Man City, but there’s always a transitional period of somebody else coming in and trying to get their ideas across and whether that works out.
“It’s the nature of the beast really, especially at Chelsea, but it’s now just a case of keep an eye on this and seeing if anything else comes of it.”
Liam Rosenior prepares to take over at Chelsea
Brown first told Football Insider on 28 December that Liam Rosenior is on Chelsea’s list of options to replace Maresca should they be forced to do so.
Rosenior is currently in charge at French outfit Strasbourg, where he has led them to seventh place in Ligue 1 and into the next round of the Conference League.
Meanwhile, he remains highly rated in coaching and management circles in England following his time at Hull City despite his surprising dismissal by the Tigers.
Meanwhile, Brown told Football Insider on 2 January that Rosenior is the perfect replacement for Maresca and backed him to be a success in West London.
The Strasbourg boss is now expected to take the reins at Stamford Bridge in the coming days in what will be a big step up for the young English boss.
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