Chelsea lost 0-3 to PSG in their joint-highest Champions League aggregate loss in the club’s history.
Liam Rosenior was appointed after Enzo Maresca left the club, and on recent evidence, it looks a major backwards step.
Throughout both legs, Rosenior set up Chelsea to be too open at the back against the European Champions.
That sentence alone should be enough damning evidence that the former Strasbourg manager isn’t ready for a job of this level.
Multiple players including Malo Gusto, Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez have already had plenty to say of recent in the media which raise questions over whether the squad rate Rosenior.
Speaking after the loss, Enzo Fernandez said to ESPN Argentina that PSG ‘tactically’ out played Chelsea.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia dealt the first blow to the Blues on the night after Mamadou Sarr on his Champions League debut, was easily outstrengthened and outmatched.
Instead of starting Josh Acheampong, someone who is far more advanced when it comes to playing on the right hand side of defence, Rosenior decided to opt for Sarr, someone who has not started a Champions League before.
Yes, he knows PSG from his time at Strasbourg, but this is different levels of pressure.
Bradley Barcola fired in a second goal with wonderful strike past Robert Sanchez, a shot he had no chance of saving. But again, PSG just sliced through the midfield and defence like a knife through butter.
Senny Mayulu got in on the act as well after a great strike, to make it 8-2 on aggregate, but again, terrible defending from Chelsea was the culprit.
It’s a hard pill to swallow to watch for Chelsea fans, seeing the defence in complete disarray.
Especially considering the former manager, Enzo Maresca, was able to turn the defence into a respectable outfit, often masking weaknesses of defensive players and providing matches with more control than on display right now.
Now Rosenior, who promised to build upon what Maresca did at the club, has thrown all the pre existing on and off ball structure up in the air, In record time as well.
It’s genuinely shocking how quickly the Englishman has made the defence so open again. It takes a technical opposition just a few passes to be in on goal against this version of Chelsea.. much like Pochettino’s 23/24 side.
Chelsea’s pressing structures have fallen off a cliff, and Rosenior looks a frail figure on the touchline compared to the Italian.
The new Chelsea boss revealed post Newcastle that he is getting his men to press in a different way. But the question should be, why?
This is not the moment to embark on new tactical changes. Players are knackered, the core ones have played over 100 games in 18 months – the last thing they need is a relentless style of Football in a relentless schedule.
The Stamford Bridge faithful had seen enough tonight with most people leaving between 45-60 minutes.
One has to wonder how much the players really respect Rosenior and buying into his methods. The Englishman is often seen scribbling and providing notes to players, yet there are still no consistencies in performance throughout the match.
Rosenior must adapt and bring more organisation to the group, starting with Everton on Saturday.
Fans are angry, they won’t tolerate more draws or losses, and Rosenior will not be afforded any sympathy from them either as the ever growing lack of connection grows between fans and the rest of the club.
