Liam Rosenior has been sacked by Chelsea just three months after signing a six-year contract at the Premier League club.
Rosenior, 41, tore into his players following the 3-0 defeat to Brighton on Tuesday and said their performance was “indefensible”. The loss was Chelsea’s fifth in a row in the Premier League without scoring, making it the club’s worst run of league form in 114 years.
Calum McFarlane will take charge of the team as Interim Head Coach until the end of the season, starting with Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final against Leeds.
While Chelsea underlined their target to “undertake a process of self-reflection to make the right long-term appointment” to replace Rosenior.
A club statement read: “On behalf of everyone at Chelsea FC, we would like to place on record our gratitude to Liam and his staff for all their efforts during their time with the Club. Liam has always conducted himself with the highest integrity and professionalism following his appointment mid-way through the season.
This has not been a decision the Club has taken lightly, however recent results and performances have fallen below the necessary standards with still so much more to play for this season. Everyone at Chelsea FC wishes Liam every success in the future.”
Rosenior was only appointed in January and was viewed as a long-term successor to Enzo Maresca, following the Italian’s sudden departure.
The Englishman arrived at Stamford Bridge having worked with Chelsea’s owners at French side Strasbourg, an affiliate club under the BlueCo model.
And last week, co-owner Behdad Eghbali insisted Chelsea were “behind Liam” despite their rocky run of form and said he had “every attribute to be successful”.
But the nature of the defeat to Brighton has forced the club into a drastic move ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final against Leeds United at Wembley.
Chelsea have lost seven of their last eight games and have only beaten League One strugglers Port Vale in the FA Cup quarter-finals during that run.
That victory is the only game Chelsea have scored in out of their last seven in all competitions since a stunning collapse away to Paris Saint-Germain.
Chelsea now look set to miss out on next season’s Champions League and face a fight to make it into Europe at all after Brighton went above them into sixth.
Supporters turned on the head coach during the dismal defeat on the south coast, with Rosenior admitting he felt “numb” in an astonishing post-match interview.
“It was unacceptable, in every aspect of the game. I keep coming out and defending the players, that was indefensible, that performance tonight,” he said.
“The manner of the goals we conceded, the duels that we lost. Something has to change drastically right here, right now.”
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