MARCEL DESAILLY’S verdict on Liam Rosenior
It’s not every day that you get comments from Marcel Desailly, but that’s exactly what we’ve got here via Card Player.
The Frenchman won three trophies between 1998 and 2004 with the Blues.
How proud are you to see a black manager at Chelsea, in Liam Rosenior?
‘I have complained in the past because former black players have said they did not receive any job offers, but that’s because they didn’t complete their coaching badges. I’ve earned my UEFA Pro Licence for exactly that reason, to have the ability to take future job opportunities. If you don’t go for your badges, don’t expect a coaching position.
‘You need to go through the system and Liam Rosenior has done exactly that. He also worked on his coaching ability and skills at Derby, Hull and Strasbourg. Now he has a really big job at Chelsea.
‘Rosenior earned his coaching badges when he was 32, which shows real commitment to management. He engrained himself into the system, and the system has rewarded him.’
Did you like Liam Rosenior during his time in France?
‘In France, Liam Rosenior had strong ideas around possession and transition. He is definitely part of that new generation that have a new approach. He is a British coach with a positive philosophy, not simply the fighting spirit of English coaches in the past.
‘He clearly has the brains and it’s a good opportunity with Chelsea to go to the next level. But Chelsea is a difficult club to train and to manage because you have to educate the players in every single session, so time will tell how things play out.’
