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@kazani
Just to be clear upfront
I rate Enzo Fernández very highly and think he's been excellent over the last 18 months.
That said, if PSG came in this summer with a £100m offer, I'd take it, and here's why.
Most of us want to see Palmer and Estêvão playing together. To make that work, you're almost certainly looking at a 4-2-3-1. The issue is that Enzo is at his best in a 4-3-3. Structurally, that pushes you toward choosing Palmer or Estêvão rather than accommodating both.
From a balance perspective, a double pivot of Caicedo plus someone like Wharton, Anderson, Bouaddi, or Smit fits the shape better. I don't think Enzo is ever going to be athletic enough to consistently function in a pivot, especially in the way this team wants to play.
This isn't an indictment of his quality - far from it. It's more about fit. In our system, he creates trade-offs that ripple through the rest of the XI.
I'd be happy to be proven wrong, but based on how Rosenior seems to want the team to function, that's how it looks to me right now.
Aside from my points, we'll miss his overall mentality no matter how much it is attempted to be dismissed as an important quality. He offers us so much. Mentality, leadership, goals etc. It's a risk.
If Rosenior finds a way to play Enzo and it not effect Palmer and Estevao then brilliant. Obviously would prefer that outcome.
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@kazani
Mamadou Sarr will arrive in London tomorrow after Chelsea recall and can train with the first-team straight away.
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@kazani
Napoli not lost at home since December 2024 vs Lazio & have gone 25 games since then without defeat. Chelsea’s turn to try tonight
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@kazani
No release clause. No interest in leaving.
Cole Palmer stays at Chelsea for the foreseeable future.
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@kazani
2000+ words on Liam Rosenior's Strasbourg – their tactical identity, his standout strengths as manager & what to expect.
https://londonisblue.beehiiv.com/p/liam-rosenior-tactical-analysis-strasbourg-25-26
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@kazani
Interesting read about Chelsea’s U18 coach, Hassan Sulaiman. Calum McFarlane is joining Liam Rosenior’s first-team coaching staff, which leaves the U21 role vacant. Instead of promoting the U18 head coach to the U21s, his assistant, Harry Hudson got promoted to become the U21 coach. As a result, Sulaiman remains with the U18s while his assistant was promoted ahead of him.
It’s worth noting that Hassan Sulaiman has been part of Chelsea’s youth setup since 2008.
Apparently, everyone who was promoted has links to Joe Shields and the Kinetic Academy. Hmmmm!
https://x.com/i/status/2009609620688699405
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@kazani
I'm really excited about Liam Rosenior coming in as Chelsea's new head coach. Just watched that Sky Sports clip where Jay Bothroyd was banging the drum for him, saying he's got the credentials and this could be an outstanding appointment if the board backs him properly. And honestly, after thinking it through, I think Rosenior could genuinely be the guy to turn things around at Stamford Bridge and build something special long-term.
https://x.com/i/status/2008480237521100919
Here's why I'm optimistic:
First off, look at what he's done in his short managerial career so far. At Hull City in the Championship, he took over a team that was struggling and transformed them into one of the most attractive sides in the league. They played proper progressive, possession-based football with a high press – fluid shapes, quick transitions, getting full-backs high up the pitch. They were unlucky not to make the playoffs in his full season, and everyone raved about how entertaining they were despite not having massive resources. Then he goes to Strasbourg (yeah, the BlueCo link helps, but still), and in his first season there he gets them qualifying for the Conference League, punching way above their weight in Ligue 1.
That's not luck – that's tactical nous and getting the best out of players.
/chelseafc right now have one of the youngest squads in the Premier League, stacked with talent like Palmer, Enzo, Gittens, Estevao, and all the other young guns we've splashed cash on. But they've lacked cohesion and identity under recent managers. Rosenior's style seems perfect for this group: he's great at developing young players, giving them freedom to express themselves while drilling a clear system. His teams press aggressively, build from the back, and create overloads in wide areas – imagine that with our wingers and attacking full-backs like Reece James when he's fit. It could unlock so much potential.
People will say "but he got sacked by Hull" – yeah, after overachieving, and the owner wanted a different direction. But look at Strasbourg: he proved he can handle a step up and deliver results quickly. He's only 41, articulate, modern in his thinking, and seems like the type of coach players buy into.
This reminds me a lot of Mikel Arteta's path at Arsenal.
Remember when Arteta left his assistant role at Man City under Pep, where he'd soaked up all that elite-level tactical knowledge on possession, pressing, and positional play? He goes to Arsenal in late 2019, inherits a mess, brings in young talents, implements a clear identity, and it takes a couple of years of patience (and some rough patches) before it clicks.
Now Arsenal are title challengers with one of the best young cores in Europe, playing beautiful football. Rosenior isn't coming straight from Pep's shadow, but his time at Hull and Strasbourg shows he's got that same modern blueprint – fluid 3-4-3 or 4-3-3 shapes, high energy, youth-focused. If Chelsea give him time like Arsenal gave Arteta (and let's be honest, our owners seem to like these project-style appointments), we could see similar growth.
Of course, the pressure at Chelsea is insane, and results have to come eventually. But with the squad we've got, a coach who can organise them properly and let the talent shine? I think Rosenior succeeds because he's not coming in to just manage – he's coming to build.
What do you lot think – excited or skeptical? $BLUES
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