Former Hull City manager Liam Rosenior is among the early leading candidates to replace Enzo Maresca at Chelsea
Former Hull City boss Liam Rosenior has already shared his approach to managing the dressing room amid rumours he could take charge at Chelsea. The Premier League outfit announced on New Year’s Day that they have parted ways with head coach Enzo Maresca.
The 45-year-old departs less than six months after securing the Club World Cup and Conference League titles in his debut season at Stamford Bridge.
Despite guiding Chelsea back into the Champions League, they currently sit 13th in the league phase and face a challenge to avoid a two-legged play-off tie.
The hunt for Maresca’s successor in west London is now well underway, with former Hull boss Rosenior among the early front-runners, reports football.london.
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It has been claimed that the Blues hierarchy have been greatly impressed by the work the 41-year-old has done since taking the helm at Ligue 1 club Strasbourg.
Rosenior has previously spoken to The Times about his management style, providing insights into how he would handle the personalities at Chelsea if he were to land the top job
He stated: “We don’t have many rules. I don’t set curfews. I haven’t fined a player since I’ve been at the club.
“The first thing I said to the group is, ‘If you’re trustworthy and you live the right way, then you’re going to be a part of this. If you don’t, you won’t be.’ In France, it’s very structured. Culturally, that was a huge thing at the time.
“We went on a pre-season trip to Germany in my first week. I set them no rules. A group of 19 and 20-year-olds. Everyone thought, ‘This guy is mad.’ The woman who ran the hotel said to me and Kalifa (Cissé, Rosenior’s assistant) that she had never come across such a well-behaved group of lads.
“I have to earn the players’ respect. As a manager, the reality of football now is I’m not in control. The players are in control.
“If I treat them badly, phone call to the agent, agent calls the club, manager’s done — ‘Lost the dressing room.’ But if you look after your people, they will look after you. That’s the way that we work here. And that’s why everyone buys in.”
Rosenior spent almost two years as Hull manager from 2022-24, with the club’s former manager leaving City after guiding the club to seventh place in the Championship and only just missed out on a play-off spot.
Rosenior is also a well-known admirer of Sir Alex Ferguson, and went on to outline his priorities when taking charge at a new club – echoing the philosophy of some of football’s most successful managers that forging strong relationships is paramount.
He continued: “Before you even talk about tactics, philosophies or systems, you need to have a group of guys that want to fight for you.
“Wherever I go, my first job is to create a culture where people enjoy what they do, but they’re connected to each other and to what we do.”