Rosenior was out of his depth at Chelsea, and it was obvious from the start

TL;DR

Liam Rosenior was dismissed as Chelsea head coach after just 106 days, highlighting his lack of experience and poor decision-making. His tenure was marked by mistakes that drew ridicule from fans and former teammates.

Key points

Liam Rosenior lasted 106 days as Chelsea head coach
He lacked top-level coaching experience
Rosenior's decisions drew ridicule from fans and former teammates
Chelsea lost to Fulham on his second day in charge
He was criticized for his detached approach during matches

ChelseaFulhamStrasbourgParis Saint-Germain

Liam Rosenior lasted just 106 days as Chelsea head coach, but it was obvious on Day 2 that the 41-year-old was ill-equipped for the job he had been hired to do.

In truth, it was also clear on Day 1 considering his lack of top-level coaching experience and the naïve belief of BlueCo, Chelsea's owner, that Rosenior could make the transition from coaching partner club Strasbourg to leading a dressing room of big-name players at Stamford Bridge following the dismissal of Enzo Maresca.

More than 24 hours after watching training on his first day in charge, though, Rosenior chose not to be involved with team selection or play any part on the bench as his new side suffered a 2-1 defeat away to local rivals Fulham in his second day in the job, opting instead to take a more detached approach, sitting alongside Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali in the stand at Craven Cottage.

It was the first of many mistakes by Rosenior. Others would be more obvious and embarrassing: the bizarre claim that his players were "respecting the ball" while surrounding referee Paul Tierney in a pre-match huddle, his odd boast that he was "managing the school team when I was 11" and the decision to hand Alejandro Garnacho a tactical note in the 85th minute of an 8-2 aggregate defeat against Paris Saint-Germain.

All of Rosenior's gaffes and his corporate speak of "alignment" and "process" combined to make him a figure of ridicule, with some former teammates mocking his unrecognizable persona. Sources have told ESPN that Rosenior was so hurt by some of the criticism that he privately challenged his detractors, with one admitting to being surprised that the Chelsea coach was allowing himself to be distracted by the noise.

But why did that first misstep at Fulham matter? It mattered because it highlighted Rosenior's inexperience and inability to realize that when you are Chelsea coach, walking in the footsteps of José Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Antonio Conte and Thomas Tuchel, everything that you say or do is noticed and judged to an extent way beyond anything he had lived through previously in his career.

Having walked into a job after his predecessor had failed to win any of his final four games, a more seasoned coach or manager would have taken a grip of the situation by attempting to make an instant impact, showing skeptical players and supporters that he had the skillset and personality that the Chelsea job demands. Instead, Rosenior sat it out as the supporters chanted angry songs about the owners.

Q&A

Why was Liam Rosenior fired from Chelsea?

Liam Rosenior was fired due to his lack of top-level coaching experience and a series of poor decisions during his brief tenure.

How long did Liam Rosenior coach Chelsea?

Liam Rosenior lasted just 106 days as Chelsea head coach before being dismissed.

What mistakes did Rosenior make at Chelsea?

Rosenior made several mistakes, including not participating in team selection and making bizarre claims during press conferences.

Who did Chelsea lose to during Rosenior's second day in charge?

Chelsea lost 2-1 to local rivals Fulham on Rosenior's second day as head coach.