Liam Rosenior hailed “excellent” Chelsea’s “strong start” to his reign as the new Blues boss enjoyed a 5-1 defeat to Charlton in the FA Cup third round on Saturday.
Rosenior took charge of Chelsea for the first time after arriving from Strasbourg and saw goals from Jorrel Hato, Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Guiu, Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez give him the perfect introduction to his new club.
The 41-year-old replaces Enzo Maresca, who parted ways with the club last week after a turbulent campaign marred by reports of disagreements with the club’s hierarchy.
Some critics wonder whether Rosenior will be a puppet for Chelsea’s powers that be, as Strasbourg is in the same ownership group as the Premier League club.
Rosenior, who was sacked by second-tier side Hull in 2024, has a lot to prove but by brushing aside Charlton, who are 19th in the Championship, at The Valley he at least ensured there would be no massive killing spree in his first game.
«A good start, pro. I thought our first goal came at an important time in the game, it was a brilliant goal for Jorrel. The quality of my players was excellent. Strong start, something to build on,» he said.
Report | Rosenior makes a flying start as Chelsea beat Charlton in the FA Cup
“Goals change the game and that comes down to the quality of the players. It was really good to score the goal when we did.”
«I have a fantastic team, I was very happy with the starting players. I thought Marc Guiu was fantastic, he deserved his goal.»
«There are a lot of positives. A strong start, but nothing to get too carried away about yet.»
Maresca, Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino and Graham Potter have all failed to last long since Todd Boehly’s consortium bought the Blues.
Rosenior has become the first manager to win his debut game in charge of Chelsea since Antonio Conte in 2016, after nine previous permanent and interim bosses failed to start with a win.
There are many tougher tests ahead for Rosenior, starting with the visit of Premier League leaders Arsenal in the first leg of the League Cup semi-final on Wednesday.
«The guys have been very receptive to us and I thank them for that. If we continue to work like this, I’m excited about the future,» Rosenior said.
“Just a little game for us next Wednesday!”
Published on January 11, 2026
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