New Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior secured a winning start to his Premier League tenure, but the nature of the 2-0 victory over Brentford at Stamford Bridge drew criticism from pundits, including former England captain Wayne Rooney.
Rosenior's Winning Start Marred by Illness
Goals from Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer were enough to seal the three points for the Blues, lifting them to sixth in the table. However, the performance was far from fluid. Rosenior revealed after the match that a bout of illness had swept through the squad, impacting his team's display.
"There were a few, I won’t say who, but there were a couple of players playing today who were complaining about their chests," Rosenior explained. He praised their "magnificent effort" but admitted the sickness contributed to a sluggish performance with the ball. Brazilian winger Estevao was a notable absentee, ruled out due to illness.
Rooney's Critique and Faith in Rosenior's Methods
The statistics told a story of a difficult afternoon for Chelsea. Brentford dominated possession with 54.2% and had 15 shots to Chelsea's six. The Blues were clinical, scoring from both of their shots on target, but the display was labelled "poor" by Wayne Rooney on BBC's Match of the Day.
"I thought they were poor today. I thought Brentford were really good and really unlucky to not get anything out of the game," said Rooney, who worked with Rosenior at Derby County. However, the Manchester United legend expressed faith in his former colleague's long-term project, stating Rosenior would be giving the players "a lot of information" about a new system with plenty of rotation, which would take time to implement.
Looking Ahead to the Champions League
Despite the underwhelming nature of the win, Rosenior focused on the positives, particularly his team's battling attitude. "What pleased me the most... was the players’ willingness to battle, to fight, to block shots," he said, crediting that spirit for the clean sheet and the two goals.
Attention now turns to Europe, where Rosenior faces the unique situation of his first four games in charge coming in four different competitions. His next challenge is a Champions League clash against Pafos on Wednesday.
