Football’s start to 2026 has been seismic, with the festive season soon replaced by sacking season. At times this week it has been hard to keep up. The lifetime of a head coach or a manager seems to be getting shorter, with pressure for positive results apparently never greater.
In among the churn came a landmark moment, with Liam Rosenior taking on the head coach role at Chelsea, making him the first permanent black English manager at a big-six club.
Some Chelsea fans may question his experience but the ownership, who appointed Enzo Maresca to his first top-division head coach’s job, are employing a different type of candidate from those who served under the former owner Roman Abramovich.
There are several managers who landed a big Premier League job with similar – or even less – coaching experience. Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard come to mind. Wayne Rooney, who coached alongside Rosenior at Derby, is among those who think the former Strasbourg and Hull City manager deserves his chance. We couldn’t agree more.
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