Liam Rosenior lasted just 106 days as Chelsea head coach, but the signs of trouble were visible almost from the moment he walked through the door at Stamford Bridge.

On his second day in charge, Rosenior chose not to involve himself in team selection or take a place on the bench as Chelsea fell to a 2-1 defeat at local rivals Fulham. Instead, the 41-year-old sat in the stands alongside co-owner Behdad Eghbali at Craven Cottage — a curious decision that immediately raised questions about his authority and readiness for the role.

A catalogue of errors

That early misstep was only the beginning. Rosenior's tenure quickly became defined by a string of gaffes that eroded confidence among players and supporters alike. He drew widespread mockery for claiming his players were "respecting the ball" while they surrounded referee Paul Tierney in a prematch huddle. He baffled observers with the boast that he had been "managing the school team when I was 11." Most damaging of all, he handed Alejandro Garnacho a tactical note in the 85th minute of a match Chelsea were losing 8-2 on aggregate against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League.

His language — heavy with corporate buzzwords such as "alignment" and "process" — made him a figure of ridicule, with some former teammates mocking his unrecognisable persona. Sources told ESPN that Rosenior was so stung by the criticism that he personally confronted some of his detractors, a distraction that surprised those around him.

The weight of the Chelsea job

The Fulham defeat mattered beyond the three points. It exposed an inexperience that a more seasoned coach — one aware of what it means to follow in the footsteps of José Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Antonio Conte, and Thomas Tuchel — would not have displayed. A manager who commands a dressing room of big-name players cannot afford to be detached on day two. The Chelsea supporters who sang angry songs directed at the owners that afternoon at Craven Cottage sensed it immediately.

On the pitch, Rosenior's record against top opposition was dismal. Chelsea failed to beat any of their traditional Big Six rivals or fellow European heavyweights during his tenure, suffering three defeats to Arsenal, a humbling Champions League exit to PSG, and losses to both Manchester City and Manchester United.

The Fernández affair and the limits of his power

One of the most revealing episodes of the Rosenior era was the internal two-match suspension handed to Enzo Fernández for speaking positively about a potential move to Real Madrid. When Marc Cucurella made similarly encouraging remarks about Barcelona — and publicly questioned the sacking of Enzo Maresca — the Spain defender faced no punishment whatsoever. Rosenior described the Fernández ban as a "club decision," signalling that it had come from above him. The admission only further undermined his standing.

That structural reality was perhaps the core issue. BlueCo, led through its sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, envisions the head coach as one component in a broader system rather than the dominant decision-maker. Maresca, who won two trophies and secured Champions League qualification in his first season, pushed back against that model when he sought greater input on recruitment — and was swiftly dismissed for it. Rosenior, by contrast, was seen as more compliant, but supporters came to view that compliance as weakness.

What comes next for Chelsea

Seven defeats in eight matches and five successive Premier League defeats without scoring sealed Rosenior's fate. Sources have indicated to ESPN that the failed experiment may force a rethink at ownership level, with a more experienced appointment now considered essential. Names in the frame reportedly include Xabi Alonso, Cesc Fàbregas, and Andoni Iraola, while Frank Lampard — twice a Chelsea coach previously — could also be considered after steering Coventry City to Premier League promotion.

The broader damage, however, extends beyond Rosenior himself. By hiring a coach who was evidently underprepared for one of football's most demanding roles, BlueCo has created a credibility problem that the next appointment alone will not resolve. Rosenior was not equipped for the job — but the people who gave it to him bear a considerable share of the responsibility.