While not impossible, Chelsea have a daunting task of turning around a three goal deficit next week against PSG at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues lost the match 5-2, and just like so many games in the past, it was all their own doing.

Liam Rosenior has had plenty of plaudits for his results since taking over from Enzo Maresca as Chelsea manager, but last night was the first ‘strike’ as far as I am concerned.

Crazy goalkeeping decision and build up struggles

Managers make mistakes, but some are more forgivable than others.

Replacing Robert Sanchez, arguably in the running for Chelsea’s player of the season, with Filip Jorgensen, an average keeper at best, is one of the more unforgivable ones.

Sources spoken to by Chelsea Central after the match downplay any internal value raising reason and insist the recent goalkeeping change has been down to Rosenior feeling that Jorgensen is more suited to his style of play.

Rosenior feels that Sanchez lacks the ability to break lines centrally and that Jorgensen is better under pressure from an opposition high press.

That judgment though, came crashing down on Chelsea’s boss in the 73rd minute when Jorgensen played the ball straight to Bradley Barcola who intercepted the attempted pass before Vitinha lobbed the ball over the onrushing keeper and defenders.

Jorgensen initially looked for Chelsea to build centrally, a common theme under Rosenior, but PSG’s high press cut off the pivot of Reece James and Moises Caicedo.

Jorgensen, with no central progression option available, attempts a pass to Cole Palmer, who drops deep to offer a passing angle, but the ball is intercepted by Barcola.

The ball bounced off Barcola to Kvicha Kvaratskhelia, before passing to Vitinha for a simple lob over Jorgensen’s head.

In truth, a mistake like this always felt like coming. Chelsea had been taking risks all night, with many short passes across the backline and midfield going close to being intercepted.

What is perhaps more worrying is that this style of build up does not seem to be going anywhere, in fact, it may get even more extreme.

Mike Penders, Chelsea’s talented young goalkeeper on loan at Strasbourg, was tasked with being a ‘third centre back’ in build up from the back under the guidance of Liam Rosenior at Strasbourg.

While Rosenior’s central progression and short combinations idea will work against some opposition, it is hard to think that more mistakes like last night won’t occur as opposition manager’s clock onto his ideas.

Dropping Robert Sanchez was a poor idea for this game alone due to his inherently better shot stopping, but I struggle to feel anything other than this being a naive build up approach which will get exposed against better opposition, where the likes of Arsenal, multiple times, and PSG, have caused both keepers issues with playing out in the current system.

Only left back Marc Cucurella had more touches than Filip Jorgensen last night.

Chelsea’s former coach Enzo Maresca came into Chelsea with a similar idea to build up, too, but as time went on, he allowed Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen to boot the ball longer more after a series of mistakes and nervous moments saw Chelsea concede similar goals and chances, often at Stamford Bridge with the crowd groaning and in some cases booing the idea in the process.

The question is, does Rosenior double down on this current approach, or does he adapt?

Post match presser lies and off the ball naivety

Every Chelsea fan was waiting for Liam Rosenior’s press conference after the defeat last night, and it would be fair to say that he didn’t help himself with some of his answers.

Asked on Jorgensen’s mistakes, Rosenior said: “Player’s make mistakes. Filip isn’t the first one to make a mistake, that’s part of Football”

While technically true, it angered hundreds of fans on social media, who rightly feel like Robert Sanchez had been harshly and perhaps permanently replaced after a shaky display away at Arsenal in the league, despite the fact that no direct goal was conceded from any poor passes, with the overall context of the season as a whole showing Sanchez saving Chelsea’s blushes on countless occasions.

Fans were further annoyed when Rosenior seemingly compared the occasion of PSG away in a Champions League knockout tie to Aston Villa away in the Premier League.

Rosenior said: “One of the reasons we won at Villa was because we were so calm in possession. If you can stay calm here [vs PSG] and play through the press, we can have our moments and we did”

Staying calm at Villa Park against a side lacking confidence and staying calm at the Parc de Princes against the European Champions with extra rest are too different things.

Plus, how pointless is it to mention ‘moments’ in a positive sense, when the ‘moments’ in the match that ultimately mattered were Chelsea mistakes.

Rosenior further insisted that despite losing 5-2, Chelsea were “very close to being an outstanding team”.

That would be true of course, if Chelsea had 2-3 quality and reliable centre backs, better wide options, a top striker backup, a world class goalkeeper and a head coach himself that wasn’t learning on the job and exposing weaknesses more often than strengths.

His interview gave off very “PR” vibes and was used as a coping mechanism from the actual reality of his mistakes in the goalkeeper decision.

It was not just his goalkeeper decision that backfired either, or the on the ball build up approach that we discussed.. Chelsea also had issues off the ball, too.

This sequence was just one of a number of occasions in the match where Rosenior’s man to man approach failed to come off, with PSG’s short combinations through technical ability far too much to handle for the Blues.

Chelsea’s right back Malo Gusto also seemingly agreed, stating after the match to TNT Sports that Chelsea “should have just sat back and let them (PSG) come on to us”.

A baffling revert

“Arsenal are a very physical, high pressing, high energy team. I want us to be high pressing and high energy as well but you can’t solve that in a short space of time. Hopefully that comes over months, years”

“It’s OK in your mind to say, “I want to play this way”. But you have to tailor that to the players, and their experiences, and where they are at this stage of the season”

“At the moment, my focus, and the way we work, is game by game, what’s best for these players to win. That’s how it’s going to be for the rest of the season”

Yes, that’s what Liam Rosenior said a mere thirteen days ago on his approach between now and the end of the season.

For me, he has gone back on them words. Instead of ‘saying it in your mind’ and having ideas internally as a coach, he has instead brought them forward to the squad in a crucial part of the season and it is helping no one.

Chelsea, at this stage of the season, and it was no different when he made those comments Pre-Arsenal thirteen days ago, are tired from an intense schedule and season which has seen them not have any pre season after the Club World Cup.

So, with that being said, why has Rosenior suddenly in the last four matches against Aston Villa, Arsenal, Wrexham and PSG, played with a crazy high line, a crazy man to man press and an insistence on starting to introduce his goalkeeper build up ideas from Strasbourg?

Rosenior isn’t tailoring any approach to management between now and the end of the season, he is just being naive and producing basketball matches, rather than Football ones.

One must hope that Rosenior adapts fast, just like Enzo Maresca did during his time at Chelsea, or long term success looks unlikely, especially when coupling the current on pitch methods with the absolute mess that is often on show off the pitch during transfer windows, which has seen Chelsea spend so much money, yet still in need of surgery in so many areas.