Chelsea manager target Liam Rosenior's strengths, weaknesses and style of play unpacked - 'He has shown real talent'

Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior has emerged as a leading candidate to replace Enzo Maresca at Chelsea, just 20 months after being sacked by Hull City. Rosenior has since impressed with youth-focused success in Ligue 1 and the UEFA Conference League. He admitted to talks with Chelsea but insisted he was focused on Strasbourg. We explore his style of play, as well as his strengths and weaknesses.

Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior has been widely-tipped to take over from Enzo Maresca as Chelsea manager, just 20 months after being sacked by Championship side Hull City.

Of course, Rosenior is already well-known to the Chelsea hierarchy, having impressed during his time at BlueCo-owned Strasbourg, who are currently seventh in Ligue 1 and through to the last 16 of the UEFA Conference League after topping the league phase.

Speaking in his pre-match news conference ahead of Strasbourg's game against Nice, Rosenior said via DNA (Dernieres Nouvelles d'Alsace): "There's a lot of noise, a lot of speculation, but as a coach, if you get involved, you fail.

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"I don't want to guarantee how long I'll be here, but I enjoy myself here every day. I love this club, but I can't guarantee anything. Nobody can. I could say I'm going to stay here for years and then get fired."

About having contact with Chelsea, he added: "There are discussions because we're part of the same group."

Rosenior’s strengths:

Rosenior took over at Strasbourg in June 2024, having previously held managerial positions at Derby County and Hull. 

As a BlueCo employee, Rosenior is no stranger to the Chelsea hierarchy’s methods, and has shown an ability to achieve success while integrating youth. 

Highlights: Aberdeen bow out of Europe with Strasbourg defeat

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The 41-year-old’s debut in the Strasbourg dugout saw him name Ligue 1's first-ever outfield line-up made up exclusively by players under the age of 23. That season, the French outfit went on to claim only their second-ever top-seven finish since 1981. 

"He has shown a real talent to develop young players since the start of his stint at Strasbourg," Eurosport France’s Vincent Bregevin said. "He had no other choice as it’s one of the youngest squads in Europe, but he still managed to make a competitive team.

"He’s done quite well. Strasbourg have good results overall and an attractive style of play. 

"Though they have trouble balancing domestic and European football, Rosenior should get even more credit considering he had to deal with a lot of transfer movement during the summer."

Rosenior’s weaknesses:

It has been claimed in several publications that Maresca’s Chelsea exit was partly down to his volatility off the pitch, with the Italian having made cryptic comments in press conferences suggesting a breakdown in relations with The Blues' hierarchy. 

While Rosenior seemingly has a good relationship with the BlueCo higher-ups, he has also proven to be outspoken at times.

"His communication has been bad recently," Bregevin continued. "He sometimes criticises referees, most recently after a red card in a loss at Lyon. The sending off decision was clearly correct and the victim of the challenge, Malick Fofana, was badly injured. Rosenior apologised after. 

"He also had strong words about his own players after the draw at Lorient, insisting youth can’t be an excuse for the poor performance. He also criticised the fans, who were angry at [Emmanuel] Emegha, after the win against Le Havre."

Enzo Maresca, speaking at his press conference ahead of facing Aston Villa

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Rosenior’s style of play

Rosenior has tended to opt for a 3-4-3 formation at Strasbourg, with his sides marked by lots of short passing in possession and a high press when out of possession.

The 41-year-old preferred a four-at-the-back system in his previous role at Hull City, often switching between 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2.

Bregevin said: "He basically always uses a three-man defence, prefers short passes from behind for build-up phases and a high press on the opponent’s side to recover the ball quickly. 

"He actually tries to play his kind of style, whatever the team Strasbourg are facing. That made the game against PSG one of the most spectacular of the season so far. But it sometimes plays against him."

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