Former Chelsea star John Obi Mikel has launched a blistering attack on the club over the appointment of Liam Roseniolr, insisting the new Blues boss could quickly lose the dressing room.
Chelsea parted ways with Enzo Maresca on New Year’s Day with Rosenior arriving as their new head coach this week, signing a six-year deal at Stamford Bridge.
The 41-year-old is regarded as an extremely promising young coach after impressing in France with Strasbourg. But given the size of the task at hand at Chelsea, is relatively inexperienced, with his only other roles a stint as interim boss at Derby and two seasons at Hull City.
Over the last two decades, Chelsea have routinely turned to the managers of the highest calibre to deliver success with Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Antonio Conte and Thomas Tuchel all proven winners.
Appointing Rosenior represents a dramatic change in direction, one that deeply concerns Mikel.
The former Nigeria international fears the appointment will set Chelsea back ‘four or five years’ in their bid to win a first Premier League since 2014.
He also fears Rosenior faces a huge battle in winning and maintaining the faith of the Chelsea squad, particularly its key members in Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caciedo and Cole Palmer.
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‘There was an identity in the team [under Maresca] and we were we were competing to win games, but this has pushed us way, way backwards. We have taken five steps backwards now,’ an irate Mikel told the Obi One Podcast.
‘How does Liam Rosenior manage this squad? To not lose that dressing room? To not lose Cole Palmer, to not lose Enzo Fernandez, to not lose Moises Caicedo? This is your spine and you need the spine to be happy with you, you need to drag them along and if he doesn’t manage to do that he is going to f*****g lose that dressing room and it is going to end before you know it.’
Chelsea made their return to the Champions League this season after their Europa Conference League triumph last term but face a fight to qualify for the competition again next season.
Rosenior will be tasked with securing a top four finish but he been told managing Celsea is a ‘different ball game’ compared to his previous roles.
‘You give people jobs because they earned it,’ Mikel said. ‘The CV matches the criteria you want. But does his CV match the club he is coming to manage? Definitely not.
‘He hasn’t managed a top club, he hasn’t been an assistant to a top club. I can understand when you are an assistant t for so many years like [Mikel[ Arteta [at Man City before joining Arsenal], you get a top job.
‘But he has never been at a top club. It is a different ball game.’
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