Chelsea knew what they were getting with Liam Rosenior - he must be given time

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When the Chelsea hierarchy hired Liam Rosenior - well, moved him from one part of their operation to another, much grander, one - they knew what they were getting. They knew they were getting the type of character who would talk about ‘respecting the ball’.

They knew they were getting the type of character who sends out tactical instructions written on sheets of paper to players who are losing a tie by a six-goal margin with a few minutes left to play. They knew they were getting the type of character who could be turned into a figure of fun if results did not go his way.

Or, at least, you hope they did, because the most routine due diligence would have told them that. They also knew they were getting a manager who has not previously operated at this level.

This is a whole new world for Rosenior. Whether you want to call him a manager or a head coach - and Rosenior famously gave a David Brent-style address about those terms at his previous club - is irrelevant.

He is the figurehead of a Big Six club and dealing with everything that comes with that position takes much more getting accustomed to than working on the training ground with a group of players. Rosenior is finding that out the hard way.

But he is not much more than two months into a role for which he was under-qualified. Never mind Chelsea’s Roman Abramovich era - which, by the way, now turns out to be an era characterised by illegal payments - serious clubs give managers serious time.

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That is what Arsenal did with Mikel Arteta. Getting turned over by the holders in the Champions League is no shame in itself but getting turned over so emphatically is a little embarrassing.

But Luis Enrique is coming towards the end of his second year at PSG. The problem Rosenoir has is that while he might identify a swathe of players he might want to sell in the summer, that procedure is easier said than done.

There is a cast of many on absurdly long contracts. And the seemingly scattergun recruitment policy remains at the heart of Chelsea’s inconsistency on the pitch.

Sure, it is a bit of a cliché, but there is a stark absence of leadership out there. Enzo Fernandez responded to the PSG humbling by suggesting he might leave in the summer. And while he is a World Cup winner - for both country and club - there is no compelling argument to suggest Rosenoir and Chelsea should be desperate to keep him.

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They might like a huddle around the centre-spot but this is a Chelsea team that is soft through the middle. Rosenoir cannot change that in a few weeks.

In his nine Premier League matches in charge, he has two defeats on his record, both to the odd goal. The home draws against Burnley and Leeds do not look great but it is a very steep learning curve.

No, the stuff that sounds as though it comes from some pseudo management-speak textbook does not sound convincing, to say the least. But the Chelsea hierarchy knew the type of character they were getting. And if they didn’t, they should be the ones heading out the door.

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