Key Takeaways
- Liam Rosenior says only victories can save his job after four straight league losses.
- Chelsea could fall from sixth to 11th if they lose at Brighton on Tuesday night.
- Wesley Fofana has said sorry for his angry reaction to being taken off against Manchester United.
Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior accepts his position will come under heavy scrutiny unless he stops the club’s slide down the Premier League table.
Speaking ahead of the trip to Brighton, the 40-year-old admitted that warm words from co-owner Behdad Eghbali count for little while results remain poor. The Blues have dropped four games in a row and sit seven points behind fifth-placed Liverpool with only five fixtures left.
“The owners tell me they trust the project, but I live in the real world,” Rosenior said. “Four defeats on the spin at Chelsea is not acceptable. I have to fix it quickly.”
Tuesday’s clash at the Amex Stadium is already being billed as must-win. Another setback could see Chelsea plummet to 11th before they host Nottingham Forest on 4 May.
Rosenior has placed responsibility on his young squad to show fight. “We can’t wait for favours from other clubs. This is about character, about who is ready to stand up for the badge.”
He confirmed that defender Wesley Fofana has apologised for kicking out at the bench after his substitution in Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Manchester United. The manager wants his players to improve their image. “When cameras catch a moment of frustration, it writes a story people remember. We have to write a better one.”
Injuries continue to mount. Estêvão Willian, Jamie Gittens and club captain Reece James are battling hamstring issues, while João Pedro has a thigh complaint. Rosenior rejected claims that his training loads are the cause, pointing out that the medical department was already studying the problem before he replaced Enzo Maresca in January. “The simple fact is we’ve asked players to play too many matches in a short period. That risk is well documented.”
