Calum McFarlane exclusive: New Chelsea interim head coach on 'really difficult' week, Cole Palmer role and Roberto di Matteo Wembley memory

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New Chelsea interim head coach Calum McFarlane has discussed a "very difficult" week for his club, as he looks ahead to taking charge of The Blues' Emirates FA Cup semi-final against Leeds on Sunday.

McFarlane reflects on previous stint as Chelsea interim boss - and eyes 'repeat' of City draw

Video credit: TNT Sports

Previous managerial incumbent Liam Rosenior was removed from his role on Wednesday following a difficult run of results, with McFarlane parachuted into the hotseat for the second time this season, having also temporarily assumed the role when Enzo Maresca departed the club in January.

McFarlane worked with Rosenior during his short tenure at Chelsea, and - speaking exclusively to TNT Sports at the club's Cobham Training Ground - reflected on the events of the last few days.

"It's been really difficult," McFarlane said. "It's never nice when the team's performing the way it does and ultimately the manager loses his job.

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"Someone that you have a great relationship with, someone that you've worked closely with - it's never a nice feeling.

"But it's football, you have to move on and adapt and be ready for the next game that comes thick and fast."

McFarlane took charge of two games when he held the interim role earlier in the campaign, overseeing a creditable draw at Manchester City, before a narrow loss to Fulham.

The 40-year-old reflected on what he learned from that period.

"It was a great learning," McFarlane said. "I'd never coached at that level before, it was a really high level playing against Manchester City and one of the best managers [Pep Guardiola] that's ever been in our game.

"So it was just a really good experience to feel that sort of pressure, to feel that sort of level.

"I thought the players and staff coped with it well so hopefully we can repeat that."

Dissecting how he prepared his players for that January clash against Guardiola's City - which saw Enzo Fernandez grab a late equaliser - McFarlane added: "It was obviously a difficult period, with the previous manager having just left.

"So the first thing we really tackled was getting the mentality and the behaviours of the group right, knowing that you're going to have to fight.

Cole claims Palmer 'needs to be on the biggest stage in world football' amid exit talk

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"You have to do that when you play against top teams, regardless of the situation.

"We wanted to be prepared tactically, we knew that when you're playing against top-level opposition, sometimes your plan might not work, which happened in the first-half.

"So we shifted the plan that we'd already prepared for, and went to a plan B I guess you could call it, to be super aggressive and high, and try and force them into errors, which gave us a bit more control in the game.

"And then we got the moment I thought we deserved at the end of the game."

One man key to turning around Chelsea's fortunes in the remainder of the season will be Cole Palmer, with McFarlane reporting in his press conference that the England midfielder had trained on Friday having missed last Saturday's loss to Manchester United with a knock, a boost ahead of the tie with Leeds.

McFarlane shared how he will look to get the best out of Palmer, this weekend and beyond.

"Cole's a top talent. Cole can decide games at the highest level, he's done that already in his very short career," he said.

"And he's super talented, so it's pretty much about getting Cole in the right position and giving him the right amount of quality so that he can decide games of football whether that be with his finishing or his final pass or his creativity, whatever that may be.

"If you get Enzo Fernandez, Pedro Neto, Joao Pedro - if you get these players in the right position, they can win games of football for you."

McFarlane: Palmer can decide games at highest level with right players around him

Video credit: TNT Sports

McFarlane will take a moment of Chelsea's Wembley history with him into Sunday's semi-final, as he shared one of his best memories of FA Cup football.

"I remember the [Roberto] Di Matteo goal at Wembley," he said, of the Italian's famous goal inside the first minute of the 1997 final against Middlesbrough, that The Blues won 2-0.

"Chelsea have obviously got a massive history in the FA Cup, won the trophy a lot of times.

"That one sticks out in my mind."

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