Liam Rosenior set to hand Chelsea ‘freak’ increased role after what he did at previous club
Liam Rosenior has been appointed head coach of Chelsea after official confirmation arrived on Tuesday.
Enzo Maresca parted ways with Chelsea last week, amid huge turmoil behind the scenes at Stamford Bridge.
The Italian had fallen out completely with the board, who quickly moved to appoint his successor in order to utilise the January transfer window.
Chelsea have taken Rosenior from Strasbourg, a decision that fans of the BlueCo-owned Ligue 1 club have not taken lightly.
Football Insider revealed on Tuesday that Gary O’Neil has been offered the Strasbourg job, with that move now reportedly at an advanced stage.
Liam Rosenior has got the best out of Liam Delap before
Andrey Santos is among the players set to benefit from Rosenior’s arrival at Chelsea, given the Brazilian’s form under him at Strasbourg.
The 21-year-old featured 38 times across all competitions last season while on loan at the French club, scoring 11 goals and providing five assists in that time.
| Andrey Santos | Ligue 1 2024-25 |
| Appearances | 32 |
| Goals | 10 |
| Assists | 3 |
| Chances created | 27 |
| Fouls won | 63 |
| Tackles | 110 |
| Duels won | 228 |
Yet Santos has struggled for minutes since returning to Stamford Bridge, starting just four Premier League games.
The Brazilian has been used in a more defensive role under Maresca, and Rosenior‘s arrival could see him unleashed in the second half of the season.
The same can be said of Liam Delap, who is yet to find form since completing his £30million move to Chelsea in the summer.
The striker has worked with Rosenior before, hitting eight goals in the Championship under him at Hull City, despite what was an injury-riddled season.
And the 22-year-old will hope his old coach can prompt that kind of form out of him again, with the striker currently spending much of his time sitting behind Joao Pedro.
Rosenior was ‘absolutely delighted’ with Delap in previous comments
Despite Ipswich Town’s relegation last season, Delap was very impressive. The forward netted 12 Premier League goals and constantly created chances for himself by bullying defenders.
Chelsea fans hoped to see that continue when he arrived at Stamford Bridge, but injuries and poor form have seen many write off the Manchester City product.
There is no chance that Rosenior will do the same, however. Speaking after Hull City had signed him in 2023, he said: “I’m absolutely delighted that Liam is coming here.
“We’ve fought off a lot of competition from other Championship clubs and clubs around Europe. He’s someone I’ve known and been aware of for a long time.
“Liam completely fits into the way we play. He’s got outstanding physical attributes and is a great finisher. He’s got freak speed, is aggressive and can run in behind, which is one of the areas we wanted to address. He’s someone the fans will really enjoy watching.”
Rosenior has switched up his formations this season at Strasbourg, but they have all featured one main striker – Delap could be just that man.