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Liam Rosenior has opened up on the ridicule directed at him since he became Chelsea’s head coach, saying he expected the backlash and revealing it has affected his family.
Speaking with honesty and positivity, the 41-year-old was keen to stress that he will not allow the discussion around his personality, looks and coaching background to stop him from doing his job. Rosenior has said previously that he knows “a lot of people in this country have been laughing at me” since his appointment as Enzo Maresca’s replacement last month.
It does not seem to matter that Rosenior has opened with seven wins from nine games and taken Chelsea into the last 16 of the Champions League. He has been dubbed “LinkedIn Liam” because of some of his quotes, compared to David Brent because of his mannerisms and mocked after miscontrolling a ball last week during his side’s defeat by Arsenal. The reaction towards the former Strasbourg manager has been intense.
“The reason I know this is because I’ve got teenage children,” Rosenior said before Tuesday night’s home game against Leeds. “They’re on social media. It affects them. It affects my parents, it affects my family. But I knew walking into this job it was going to happen. It’s normal.
“When you’re prepared for it, it makes you smile. I’m a confident person. And if you’re affected by things like that you shouldn’t be in this job. There’s no way you can do this job if you’re affected negatively by it. I quite enjoy it, to be honest. I didn’t help myself with my first touch at Arsenal. But that comes with the territory. I’m enjoying the job. And I know in time people will start judging me on what they see on the pitch, which is the most important thing.”
Asked why he had expected it, he said: “Maybe my background and my coaching and being at a club the size of this is different. It’s different. I’m not a massive name. I’m from a different type of club and have a different type of character.”
Rosenior had roles at Derby and Hull before moving to France to manage Strasbourg. He considered suggestions that the mockery feels different. “I don’t know if you’re trying to lead me to say anything,” he said. “It doesn’t affect me. I’ve been prepared to do this job for years, for decades, and I knew what would come with it. And it actually doesn’t affect me at all, because I know the focus is doing the job and enjoying it.
“I love this job. I’m enjoying it. I’m not afraid to be myself. If I wear glasses, if I sound a little bit over the top when I speak, or articulate myself in a certain way, or I don’t look like a manager, it doesn’t bother me at all.”
It was put to Rosenior that it seems weird for there to be such a negative response to a young English manager showing promise in a big job. “Yeah, I agree with what you’re saying. Erm, I’ll leave it at that.” Asked whether he put it down to British culture, Rosenior said: “I’m not going to go into that. People make their own judgments on people before they meet them. That’s part of life.”
Rosenior hopes Reece James will be fit to face Leeds after missing games against Arsenal and Wolves. The captain has been out with a minor knock and felt unwell on Monday. Andrey Santos is available after going off with a sore ankle during the 3-1 win against Wolves on Saturday.
