Liam Rosenior’s first few days as Chelsea manager head coach have been fairly impressive, with the new head coach saying all the right things in various interviews and showing plenty of passion and energy in the training ground videos. Step one for the new head coach bounce complete!
There are of course plenty of questions and concerns about Rosenior’s appointment and qualifications, having never managed at this level. He’s the youngest head coach in club history and though this is not his first job
in management, it is the one that comes with the most pressure and expectations, by far.
But the 41-year-old is ready to embrace the pressure, rise to it, and take Chelsea along with him.
“The pressure is there from day one. I’m aware of that. [And] the bigger club you’re at, the higher the pressure but the higher the privilege.
“[But] for me, I’m looking forward to it. I can’t wait. I can’t wait for tomorrow night. I couldn’t wait to get here when we agreed the deal and meet the players and meet the staff who have been nothing but supportive, made me feel at home. It comes with the territory.
“If you’re scared or if you’re fearful, then there’s no point being a coach. I’ve worked so hard pretty much my whole life for this opportunity.
“So now I’m just going to enjoy it, which is important. I’m going to work 24 hours a day. I’m intense when I’m with the players and I’m going to push them as hard as I possibly can to be successful.”
Follow him into battle!
It’s fair to say that Rosenior, like any head coach, will be expecting his players to mirror his own intensity, ambition, drive, and determination. Rosenior brought up José Mourinho’s first Chelsea teams in Friday’s press conference (he played against them and remembered their “winning mentality” and “physicality”), and that was probably no coincidence.
“The biggest challenge in any club, in any team, is making sure you create the right culture, you create the right spirit, you have the right values. The reality at this football club, the talent levels that I’ve seen in the last two days of training, the ability of the players is world-class. I’ve got a fantastic group to work with, which I’m very excited about.
“Winning teams are consistent when they have a good spirit, when they have a good energy, when they fight for each other, when they put pride in the shirt. I think that’s my job now. I think the previous coach, Enzo [Maresca], has done a fantastic job with these players tactically. They’re a very good team already. Now it’s my job to try and take it to the next level. Me and my staff are going to work really hard with that.
“[But] to win, you can’t be nice all the time. You have to have an edge. […] It’s about hard work. It’s about determination, spirit. I remember playing at Stamford Bridge when Jose Mourinho’s team were at their very best. […] There was a physicality about the team. There was a winning mentality about the team and that’s what the fans demand. We’re trying to build something in a different way. I’m very, very confident that in time, we’ll show people why we’ve done it this way. My job is to move that forward and try and get this club to that place where it teams really, really fear coming to Stamford Bridge and the fans really, really look forward to every game that we play.”
Rosenior was born not too far from SW6 (in Wandsworth), and he has come into this job with his eyes wide open. He knows what’s expected, he has confidence in himself, and he is happy to work within the structures of BlueCo.
The ingredients are all there. Just let him cook?
“The guys I’ve worked with here, in terms of the overall project, have been nothing but supportive to me. They’ve given me confidence, have allowed me to make mistakes, have allowed me to learn. There’s always going to be speculation about how these things work. I’ve enjoyed every moment and I intend to fully enjoy this next step in my career with them and hopefully bring everyone at the club success.”
“[But I will be my own man and] I will make the decisions at this football club. That’s why I’ve been brought in. I understand. I’m not an alien. I know what’s being said in the press. But there’s no way you can be successful as a manager if you don’t make the decisions for yourself. And the great thing for me is I’ve experienced working in this setup. The guys have been nothing but supportive for me at Strasbourg. We’ve had huge success at that club from where the project started. And I intend to work exactly the same way here.
“The potential for this club, for this group is limitless. And I won’t limit, I won’t limit limitlessness. You know, I want to be successful. I’m ambitious. People know that about me. But I always have to make sure we get from where we are to where we need to be and that takes time. I’m not asking for too much time. But at the same time, you need to make sure you know where your process is headed.”
Let us not limit limitlessness!
Before this turns into an episode of “The Office”, let us close with some more motivational words.
“I’ve always wanted to be at a club like this. But it’s not about just being here. It’s about being successful. So this is the beginning for me. I’m going to give it everything. Nobody can guarantee wins. Nobody can guarantee success. But at the same time, I’ve worked very, very hard for a long time to try and put myself in a position where I can be successful.
“[…] I’m so fortunate. I’m working with some outstanding, talented players. I’m paid well. I’m lucky to be in a job. Pressure is a privilege. There are many people in the world who would love to be in my shoes, and I try to remember that every day with humility. So, yeah, I’m going to enjoy it. It’s going to be difficult moments. It’s not going to be all smooth sailing, but if you don’t enjoy what you do, you don’t do it at your best. And I want the fans to enjoy watching the team play, footballers to be enjoyed, and I definitely want my players to enjoy what they do as well.”
“[…] I think the biggest hurdle we have is realising the huge potential that we have in the group, realising it. Having more potential is one thing. I’m potentially a very good coach. Some of my players already are world-class players. We need to not be a potentially world-class team. We need to be a world-class team. That’s where I’m trying to take the club.”
-Liam Rosenior; source: Football.London
So that’s the talking done. Now, onto the football.
LFG.
