Liam Rosenior opted not to lead Chelsea in Wednesday’s Premier League match against Fulham due to the “challenging time-frame” following his appointment on Tuesday.
Chelsea was defeated 2-1, with goals from Raúl Jiménez and Harry Wilson for Fulham, while Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella received a red card in the 22nd minute for denying a clear goal-scoring chance.
Rosenior, 41, signed a six-year deal to become Chelsea’s head coach on Tuesday after leaving the Ligue 1 club Strasbourg to succeed Enzo Maresca at Stamford Bridge.
Despite traveling just a mile across west London from Chelsea to Fulham with the team’s squad, Rosenior felt he lacked sufficient time to prepare the players adequately, prompting him to watch from the stands alongside co-owner Behdad Eghbali. Interim coach Calum McFarlane managed the team after previously overseeing a 1-1 draw against Manchester City on Sunday.
“Travel, but mainly the fact that Calum [McFarlane] did such an exceptional job against Manchester City,” Rosenior explained to Sky Sports regarding his decision. “The players showed great energy, intensity, and quality, particularly in the second half.”
“Both Calum and Harry [Hudson] have been fantastic in supporting the players during this challenging period.”
“I arrived from Strasbourg yesterday morning, so there wasn’t enough time to implement the tactical work I intended to give the lads the best chance to win.
“I have complete confidence in Calum and the players to secure a victory tonight.”
Rosenior will lead first-team training on Thursday and make his debut on the sidelines during Saturday’s FA Cup third round match against EFL Championship side Charlton.
“I’m super excited; I can’t wait,” Rosenior expressed. “Coaching has always been my dream, and this opportunity at this stage of my career is incredible. However, my main focus isn’t just to be Chelsea’s manager, but to be a successful Chelsea manager. That is the message I relayed to the players when I met them for the first time yesterday.”
“We need to start strong for the remainder of the season.”