Former Super Eagles midfielder John Mikel Obi has delivered a blunt assessment of Liam Rosenior after Chelsea’s defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday, Soccernet.ng reports.
The West London club parted ways with Enzo Maresca on New Year’s Day and appointed Rosenior from sister club Strasbourg, handing him a long-term contract as part of their model.
Despite a promising start in the dugout at the two-time European champions, results have taken a downward spiral in recent weeks, with pressure already mounting.
Chelsea hit a new low on Wednesday night after a 3-0 defeat to Brighton at the American Express Stadium in the Premier League and equalled an unwanted 114-year record, as they have now lost five consecutive league games without scoring a goal.
In fact, since Rosenior’s appointment in January, the Blues have lost more league games (6) than they did under Maresca (5) in the earlier part of the campaign. They have also slipped to seventh in the standings, putting their hopes of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League next season in serious doubt.
Mikel Obi questions Rosenior’s character at Chelsea
Former Chelsea star Mikel Obi, who has been critical of Rosenior since his arrival, has once again questioned the Englishman’s connection with the club and also raised concerns about his lack of authenticity.
Speaking on his Obi One Podcast, the former Nigerian midfielder openly questioned the Chelsea manager’s character and approach at the club.
“He looks like he’s faking everything, but that’s what I said. From the very first minute I listened to him in a press conference, I said it, there is something about the guy that I do not like,” Mikel Obi said.
“Take away his coaching ability or anything, the only way somebody can be successful and get the right message across is for your players to believe your message, your philosophy, the way you want things to be done is by being authentic and by being who you are.
“By sending the right message and not sugarcoating things and not trying to be overly intellectual. Just say it how it is. Be natural, relax, and be yourself. Speak normally, calmly, and express yourself in an authentic way, in the right manner. Don’t try to be something you’re not. It just doesn’t work, and that’s what I see,” the 2013 AFCON winner added.
“When I say week in, week out there is something about him that doesn’t connect with the football club, I still don’t see that connection. It doesn’t sit well with me and a lot of people. People don’t see it working out.”
Despite being only a few months into his five-and-a-half-year contract, Mikel Obi does not believe Rosenior has a long-term future at the club and expects his tenure to be cut short very soon.
“He looks like a dead man walking to me. He looks like a guy and when a club comes out and makes the kind of statement they’ve made, when the owners speak the way they have, he just looks like someone hanging on,” Mikel Obi continued.
“He looks like a guy where you don’t know when they are going to pull the trigger. Absolutely no idea. I don’t see him staying at the football club for a long time. I don’t see that happening. So he needs to get back to being himself, stop with the act, and just be natural. Speak normally in press conferences,” Mikel Obi concluded.
Following their latest defeat, Rosenior must ensure that Chelsea respond quickly and bounce back to form with doubts over his long-term credentials at the club.
The Blues have another chance to turn things around when they face Leeds United in the FA Cup semifinal at Wembley on Sunday, offering them a possible route to win a silverware this season.
