The man widely expected to be the next Chelsea head coach once opined on a wide variety of topics in his Guardian column
C
oaching may be Liam Rosenior’s forte but, during his days as a Brighton defender, the man widely expected to be Chelsea’s new manager was also a pretty useful Guardian columnist. His eagerly awaited dispatches were invariably packed with thought-provoking opinions on an assortment of topics, ranging from dead balls to Donald Trump. Below are excerpts from a cross-section of Rosenior’s thoughts during his three years with us, alongside a sense of what they tell us about the 41-year-old and how he could carry out his duties at Stamford Bridge. It is important to remember, of course, that Rosenior’s views may have changed in the intervening period.
“Everyone at the London Stadium as well as millions around the world saw the criticism, abuse and ridicule Slaven Bilic was subjected to last Friday night as we recorded a superb win over West Ham [then managed by Bilic]. What they didn’t witness was that same man standing outside the Brighton dressing room afterwards, waiting for each and every one of our players and coaches to offer congratulations and a warm handshake. A few minutes before I was sat behind the technical area while chants of ‘sacked in the morning’ and ‘you don’t know what you’re doing’ crashed down on Bilic from the stands and yet here he was in the quiet of the tunnel displaying a humility and courtesy which very few people could find in those circumstances and, for the first time in my life, I questioned my own ambition to be a manager.”
