Liam Rosenior Aims To Unlock Chelsea's Limitless Potential In New Era

Chelsea start a new chapter on Saturday as Liam Rosenior takes charge for the first time, targeting a fresh response across all competitions while the team sit eighth in the Premier League but remain close

to the Champions League places and continue to compete on several knockout fronts this season.

The former Strasbourg head coach signed a six-and-a-half-year contract on Tuesday, replacing Enzo Maresca at Stamford Bridge, and observed from the stands as Chelsea Under-21 head coach Calum McFarlane led a 2-1 Premier League defeat against Fulham, giving Rosenior an early view of the squad’s current form.

Rosenior’s first match comes in the FA Cup third round, with Chelsea travelling across London to face Charlton Athletic at the Valley, while recent league results show only one win from nine Premier League fixtures, with five draws and three defeats leaving the club four points behind Liverpool in the race for the final Champions League spot.

Asked how Chelsea can shift momentum, Rosenior stressed a short-term approach built on each result while emphasising belief in the squad’s ability and willingness to adapt to new ideas, presenting the next fixture as the starting point for any sustained improvement under the new coaching team.

"I've said to the players, focus on winning the next game. That's how we go on a run, Rosenior told reporters about how he and his staff can turn results around. The talent we have, the engagement to something new, there's really positive signs. The potential for this club is limitless, and I won't limit limitilesness. It's a tough run, it's a tough league. We aren't the only club that'll go through difficult periods; every club does. Sometimes a different voice helps, but we aren't far away and that's really important for the players to know. "

Rosenior acknowledged the size of the challenge at Chelsea, pointing to recent instability in the dugout since BlueCo’s takeover in 2022, a period that has already seen Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino and Maresca hold the position before Rosenior became the fifth permanent appointment under the current ownership structure.

"I think theturnover of managers now is huge. The pressure is there from day one and if I wasn't willing to take on that pressure and privilege I wouldn't be here, Roseniorsaid. I am looking forward to it. I can't wait for tomorrow night. The players and staff have been nothing but supportive and made me feel at home. If you are scared or fearful, there is no point being a coach. I am going to work 24 hours a day. I am going to push them to try and be successful. "

Straight to work.pic.twitter.com/ZekNMeFZS5Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 8, 2026

Chelsea and Liam Rosenior target success in every competition

Under Maresca, Chelsea claimed the Conference League and Club World Cup and also progressed to the EFL Cup semi-finals, where Arsenal await over two legs, while the team remain 13th in the league phase of the Champions League and start another FA Cup campaign seeking a ninth triumph in the competition and first since Antonio Conte’s 2017-18 victory.

Rosenior was clear that Chelsea would not single out one tournament, insisting that treating certain competitions as less important would be counterproductive, and highlighted the need to approach each match with the same intensity while avoiding long-term distractions that might harm immediate performance levels across the schedule.

"We want to try and win every game we play. If you start pinpointing and saying one competition is more important than the other, then that is crazy, Rosenior said. You have to try and win every game and if you think too far ahead you fall. We just have to focus on the here and now. "

Rosenior inherits a squad that has already lifted two trophies this season yet continues to chase consistency in league play, and enters Charlton Athletic away with multiple competitions still alive, a demanding calendar and firm public backing for a hard-working approach that aims to turn narrow margins into sustained progress for Chelsea.