Liam Rosenior could not have asked for a much better start to life as Chelsea manager.
The buzz around the club is picking up again, and his side made a strong statement with a 5-1 win against Charlton in the FA Cup.
Training sessions have taken on more energy, and Rosenior has already received praise from Gary Lineker for his handling of interviews.
Rosenior’s Strasbourg teams were known for their high pressing and relentless running – an approach that drew comparisons to Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United.
While he has not made sweeping changes right away – understandable given where we are in the season – there was a noticeable adjustment on Saturday.
Wayne Rooney’s Early Take on Rosenior’s Impact at Chelsea
Rosenior has not had much time to implement his full system yet, but one thing that already stands out is the team’s increased work rate.
Speaking on his BBC podcast, Rooney pointed out how the squad put in more effort than he had seen all season on Saturday.
“I watched Chelsea, Liam Rosenior’s first game, and I saw Chelsea players running harder than I’ve seen them running all season. I know he made a lot of changes,” Rooney said.
He went on to highlight how effort can make a difference for creative players: “But you get your rewards, and then your players with the ability and your match winners and players who can dictate the game will be able to do that so much easier if you have a work rate.”
Liam Rosenior faces the task of winning players over at Stamford Bridge
Jorrel Hato put in an impressive shift across multiple roles, while Marc Guiu did not stop pressing from the front in what was a strong start under his new manager.
Joe Hart even called Guiu an ideal fit for what Rosenior wants from his forwards. But getting complete buy-in from every player won’t be easy.
Alejandro Garnacho, for instance, didn’t record any defensive contributions or recoveries during the match.
Whether or not he adapts could determine how long he stays part of this project, which might be exactly what Rosenior intends.
