Liam Rosenior closes in on being next Chelsea manager – ‘This is why he’s the perfect choice’
Liam Rosenior is in pole position to become the next Chelsea manager following Enzo Maresca’s dramatic resignation from his role.
The Strasbourg boss is the current favourite to replace Maresca and it would be an appointment that could pay dividends.
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 the boss’ BlueCo connections have placed him firmly in the driving seat.
Maresca sensationally quit Stamford Bridge following Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Bournemouth against a backdrop of constant disagreements with the board.
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.
Liam Rosenior in line to land Chelsea job
Brown first told Football Insider on 28 December that Rosenior is on Chelsea’s list of options to replace Maresca should they be forced to do so.
The former scout, 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 Strasbourg boss has earned the opportunity at Chelsea.
“Liam Rosenior is going to be a contender for the job, and I think he deserves it,” he told Football Insider.
“He’s a young, English coach who has come through, done his badges, fostered a very relationship with Hull, my former club, so I know he was thought of very highly.
“It’s a shame the owners at Hull didn’t see it the same way as the staff and fans did, but since then he’s gone out to France and made a real name for himself.
“He’s earned a very strong reputation, a bit like Roy Hodgson did years ago when he went off to Sweden to establish himself before coming back to England.
“Everybody I speak to about Rosenior rates him very highly, and he’s as qualified as anybody to take on that Chelsea job, he’s earned that right.
“He’s got a relationship with the owners because he’s at Strasbourg which is ideal, so it’s definitely something they will be lining up. After Maresca has left, he has got to be one of the leading candidates.”
Enzo Maresca lined up to take the Man City job
Brown first told Football Insider on 15 December that Maresca was unhappy at Chelsea and considering his options, having previously hit out at the board.
Chelsea beat Everton 2-0 at Stamford Bridge, 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.
That, it turned out, was the start of a rapid downward spiral which has led to reports the boss felt he no longer had full control over his management decisions.
Meanwhile, Brown told Football Insider that Maresca is being lined up by Man City to replace Pep Guardiola if and when he leaves the role in the near future.
While Marseille’s Roberto de Zerbi is also believed to be on their list of targets, Maresca has placed himself in a strong position for the future.
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