Liam Rosenior has been sacked by Chelsea.
The English boss came under fire for a poor run of form, which saw the Blues win just one of his final seven games in charge. And he must shoulder some of the blame for that.
But Chelsea are also a mess on and off the pitch. So Rosenior has kept a lot of his reputation.
What he needs now is a job to rebuild, to push the Chelsea stint behind him. The question is, where could (and should) he go?
Who should Liam Rosenior manage next?
Dream: Crystal Palace
The dream move for Rosenior would be to remain in the Premier League. There’s one definite opening this summer, and that’s Crystal Palace with Oliver Glasner leaving in the summer. It would be an interesting move for both club and manager.
Palace have ambition, and may even go into next season as one of three European champions. That would see them in the Europa League, which is a good starting point for Rosenior. Let’s reiterate that Rosenior isn’t a bad manager. What he needs is a club that isn’t a mess.
Player power appeared to be a big problem at Chelsea, with egos seeing their stars not respecting Rosenior. Palace’s players don’t exactly scream egotisical. And any stars that might be, Palace would be looking to move on anyway.
Tactically, Rosenior feels like a good match for Palace if they want to grow. He’ll look to have the Eagles on the ball more, looking to control possession. But Rosenior is tactically flexible, and won’t put Palace in danger against the bigger sides.
Realistic: Drop to the Championship
Rosenior probably won’t want to drop down to the Championship. He’s managed in Ligue 1, the Premier League and the Champions League. But it could be a good place for a refresh.
Just look at what Frank Lampard has done to his reputation at Coventry City. Another man who struggled at Chelsea — especially in his second spell, as interim.
Rosenior has a decent record in the Championship too. He did well at Hull City, despite not being given much to work with. His sacking towards the end of the 2023-24 season was a shock, after Hull just missed out on a play-off spot.
The question here would be, what club? Bristol City will be looking for a new manager, but they seem a tad too low for Rosenior. Burnley could be an option if they decide to call time on Scott Parker’s spell after another Premier League relegation. We also don’t know what the summer will bring in terms of Championship managers being snapped up. There could be a fair few options.
Wildcard: Return to Strasbourg
When Rosenior was first announced as Chelsea manager in January, there were a host of betting markets available for his future. The odds of him returning to Strasbourg for the start of the 2026-27 campaign were surprisingly low.
Gary O’Neil replaced Rosenior at Strasbourg and has done well, winning 10 of his 20 games so far and drawing five. He’s on a bit of a bad streak at the minute, with three defeats in four games, including one in the Coupe de France semi-finals. They’re unlikely to qualify for Europe through the league but are in the Uefa Conference League semi-finals.
The main question is whether O’Neil will be at Strasbourg next season. He’s already being linked with a move away, and some fans are hypothesising that he could be on Chelsea’s list. A return to Strasbourg for Rosenior might not go down well with the club’s fans, given how he left and their general unhappiness with BlueCo. But, unfortunately, it’s a partnership that won’t likely go away. So, Rosenior being back in the Strasbourg dugout isn’t completely out of the question.
Squawka Suggests: Go abroad
Having been in the spotlight of the English media, and coming under fire from all angles, the best thing for Rosenior might be to go back abroad. He rarely received anything other than praise for the work he was doing at Strasbourg, where not as many eyes were on him.
No one was picking up on his mannerisms, or the way he spoke in press conferences. And any defeats were brushed over, because he wasn’t under the microscope.
Whether that is a return to Strasbourg, or another mid-table team in one of Europe’s top five leagues. He could even do a reverse Graham Potter and move to a country like Sweden, where he could make himself a legend at a club. Rosenior’s unlikely to rush before making his next decision, needing to recuperate after a tough time.