Liam Rosenior receives fresh Chelsea sack verdict

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 30 Mar 2026 13:29 BST
• 4 min read

News

Ex-Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has urged his former club to retain faith in Liam Rosenior amid rumours that he could be sacked following four consecutive defeats in all competitions.

The 41-year-old was appointed as the new Blues head coach in January, after the departure of Enzo Maresca by mutual consent, but he is already under pressure at Stamford Bridge following a downturn in results over the past few weeks.

Chelsea were dumped out of the Champions League after an 8-2 aggregate loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the last-16, while their participation in next season’s competition is in serious doubt after back-to-back Premier League defeats versus Newcastle United and Everton.

Reliable reports have suggested that Chelsea have no intention of sacking Rosenior despite their current slump, with the Englishman set to be given until at least 2027 after impressing the hierarchy during his spell in charge of their sister club Strasbourg.

However, rumours have speculated that the search for a new manager will take place if Chelsea fail to qualify for next season’s Champions League, which is a real possibility given their tricky fixture schedule for the remainder of the campaign.

Despite this, Hasselbaink wants his former club to give Rosenior plenty of time to implement his methods.

Liam Rosenior sack verdict

“Obviously you need results, but the players need to know he’s going to be there, because when players know that he is going to be changed, that body language and their way of being is different,” Hasselbaink said when asked about Rosenior by The Daily Mail.

“When they know the manager has the power to do everything… players react differently. It’s just a fact. They have to really back him, verbally, going out, but also internally. I think they’re doing that. I think if he can be there for years, we will have lots of success.”

Hasselbaink added: “He’s [Rosenior] good enough. I think he’s good enough. He knows his football, but it’s a result-based game.

“Did the club think that [Enzo] Maresca was going to go when he did? Were they ready for that? I don’t think so, but here we are. They’ve given, very bravely, somebody like Liam the job.

“When you do that very bravely, you need to give him all the chances to succeed and give him all the time. You need to take as much pressure away from him. I don’t know if that is possible, but internally, you need to really make him feel and know that he’s the man, and he’s going to go nowhere, so that he can do his job. That’s the only way I think he will succeed but I do think he has got the ability.”

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