New Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior says he did “nothing tactical, nothing technical” before his first match against Charlton – a sign of the likely direction of travel under his leadership.
That is not to say the 41-year-old lacks innovation or the ability to nullify opponents, but his similarities to predecessor Enzo Maresca mean he does not need to reinvent the wheel.
When asked by BBC Sport why he had not made any noticeable tactical changes before Chelsea’s 5-1 victory in the FA Cup third round, Rosenior said: “This is a team that won the Club World Cup. That was five months ago. This is a team that won the Conference League last year. We’re a good team.
“We are a good team. They’ve been well coached. I’ve made no secret of that.”
Rosenior was appointed to build on Maresca’s work, knowing the way Chelsea play, having been part of their multi-club model at French club Strasbourg.
By design, the two clubs play almost the same way, allowing players and now a head coach to move freely between the two. On Saturday, Chelsea played in the same 4-2-3-1 shape used by Maresca but built up in a 3-2-2-3 system used by Rosenior at Strasbourg.
However, that is not to say there have been no changes. Chelsea have struggled to retain leads this season, dropping 15 points from winning positions in the Premier League, winning just one of their past nine league matches.
“No, I think the biggest thing I challenged the players on was our reactions to setbacks, our intensity. I was very happy with the togetherness and the spirit of the group today,” Rosenior added.
“I was very happy with the intensity that they ran at – winning duels, winning headers, all of the basics. And that’s where you get your joy from.”
Sources involved in Rosenior’s first sessions say intensity was a key the
