Eyebrows were raised when Enzo Maresca left Chelsea, and even more so once Liam Rosenior was announced as his successor.But less than four months after he joined (106 days to be precise), he was sacked from his position as head coach on Wednesday evening as the west Londoners look to salvage some sort of success this season.After 23 matches in charge, it’s game over for RoseniorGettyBlueCo, Chelsea’s under-fire owners, appointed Rosenior on January 6 having previously given him the job at their sister club RC Strasbourg 18 months prior.A 5-1 debut win at Charlton Athletic in the FA Cup sparked what was a mostly positive subsequent run of six wins in eight, with the only two outliers being defeats to Arsenal in the Carabao Cup semi-finals.Optimism didn’t last long though, as humiliation in the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain was joined by their fight to finish in the Premier League top five.Rosenior took charge for the final time on Tuesday night in what was an embarrassing 3-0 defeat to Brighton, and he rightfully lambasted his side during post-match media duties.Chelsea have lost and gone goalless in their past five league matches – the last time their players delivered such a horror show was in 1912.However, it’s Rosenior who had to face up to the hierarchy, who felt a change was needed days before their FA Cup semi-final against Leeds United on Sunday, live on talkSPORT.It’s been another tumultuous managerial episode for Chelsea, with a particular series of moments encapsulating the chaos and confusion that never seems to disappear in SW6.BlueCo decision backfiresRosenior impressed at Hull City before his move to Strasbourg, where he finished seventh in Ligue 1 and qualified for the Conference League in his debut season.He has the potential to forge a successful career in coaching, but the switch to Chelsea was just a step too far and too quick – BlueCo should never have given him the job in the first place.Shortly after Maresca departed, Rosenior emerged as the preferred candidate to take the reins at Chelsea despite already proving his worth in France with Strasbourg.The decision to hire Rosenior ultimately lies with BlueCo and their leadersGettyHe was already eyed as a potential future manager at Chelsea before the fallout with Maresca in what appeared to be a natural pathway under the BlueCo regime.Managerial change halfway through a season can be a challenging feat, although Thomas Tuchel won the Champions League with the Blues just four months after replacing Frank Lampard.However, the major key difference between Tuchel and Rosenior is their depth of experience beforehand, with the former previously at Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain.With respect to Hull and Strasbourg, they are incomparable to two of the biggest clubs in Europe.It was therefore no surprise that Rosenior appeared out of his depth at Chelsea, a club that used to compete for the biggest honours in football on a regular basis.BlueCo haven’t delivered such consistency in nearly four years at the club, and their appointment of Rosenior at the start of 2026 seemed to suggest that they didn’t plan to anytime soon.Rosenior endured a torrid run of form towards the end of his tenureGoalkeeper dilemma ends miserablyRobert Sanchez signed for Chelsea from Brighton in 2023 and spent his first two seasons failing to convince fans and neutrals that he was the man to hold down the no. 1 spot in goal.This changed during the early stages of the 2025/26 campaign as the Spaniard delivered some key saves and performances that, at one point, would have put him in contention for their Player of the Year.Sanchez was the man for the big occasion… until Chelsea travelled to Paris for their Champions League last 16 first leg against PSG.He was benched for Filip Jorgensen who, in fairness, started in their league phase victories over Ajax and Pafos at Stamford Bridge earlier in the campaign.But when up against the reigning champions, you should select your best available XI – Rosenior chose not to do so and it led to Chelsea being all but eliminated from the competition by full-time.With the score at 2-2, Jorgensen attempted to play the ball out from the back but gave it straight to Bradley Barcola, and then Vitinha was the man who lobbed him for the host’s third.Any momentum that Chelsea had beforehand had been wiped away, and two further goals from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia later in the match ensured they had it all to do in the second leg, which they also lost.Sanchez has played every game since, albeit Jorgensen has been out with a groin injury since the defeat at the Parc des Princes.Rosenior’s decision to drop Sanchez against PSG did not pan out wellGettyIt was an error of judgement from Rosenior that effectively dashed any hope of reaching another European quarter-final, where Chelsea may have fancied their chances against a shaky Liverpool side.Fernandez and Cucurella speak outChelsea went into the March international break off the back of consecutive defeats to Newcastle, PSG again in the second leg, and Everton, with no goals scored during that run.The two-week pause of club football would have been welcomed by all involved at the club as it presented the opportunity for them to reset ahead of the run-in – this was far from the case.An Enzo Fernandez interview that emerged the day before their loss at Everton saw the midfielder express his confusion over the decision to let Maresca leave at the beginning of the year.Fernandez later fuelled speculation over a summer move to Real Madrid as he admitted he’d like to live in the Spanish capital as it is similar to his birthplace of Buenos Aires.Marc Cucurella also criticised the Chelsea board regarding Maresca, as well as their transfer policy of signing young players over those with top-level quality.He was not sanctioned by the club, whilst Fernandez was given a two-match ban for his comments and therefore missed the 7-0 win over Port Vale and 3-0 defeat to Manchester City.“I think a line was crossed,” said Rosenior, who arguably made the correct decision when one of his key players appeared to have an eye out the door whilst Chelsea held onto hope for the rest of the season.But it’s understood that the squad were divided over the decision to ban the World Cup winner with Argentina, who is also vice-captain.Comments from Fernandez and Cucurella, two senior players, did not help whatsoeverGettyThey were then confused that he returned for the 1-0 home loss against Manchester United but without the armband, even though go-to skipper Reece James remained out injured.Critical captain absenceAfter years of fitness issues, James was finally enjoying an injury-free season at Chelsea and thriving at right-back, whilst also excelling in midfield when called upon.His last appearance came in the defeat to Newcastle and as captain, he was part of the bizarre pre-match huddle in the centre circle that Rosenior later described as ‘respecting the ball’.Since then, James has been sidelined with a hamstring injury, which means he missed the crucial matches against PSG, Everton, City and United.Although Rosenior is tasked with picking the side and coaching them to victory on the pitch, his job was made harder amid the absence of their beloved right-back.James is Chelsea through and through having graduated from the Cobham academy, and recently committed his future to the club by signing a new deal until 2032.He has won the Champions League, Conference League, Super Cup and two Club World Cups as a senior player, and knows what it takes to play for club of its stature and world presence.Unfortunately for Rosenior, he couldn’t call upon the help of his captain towards the end of his tenure and, given James’ world-class quality as a player, this would have been a huge loss.James’ absence on the pitch would have been a crucial blow for RoseniorGettyBrighton signalled the endWith Champions League qualification still within reach, Chelsea had to leave Brighton on Tuesday night with three points – they did not.In fact, they produced one of their worst performances of the season and the players had seemingly downed tools within the opening stages as they conceded the first of three goals in as many minutes.Rosenior, who was without Cole Palmer and top scorer Joao Pedro with injuries, opted for a back three system that left acres of space for Brighton shortly before Ferdi Kadioglu netted the opener.Liam Delap, who has scored one Premier League goal in 25 outings, looked isolated in attack even though the eventually underwhelming Pedro Neto joined him.When the team was announced an hour and 15 minutes ahead of kick-off, it suggested that Rosenior was a man who had run out of ideas at Chelsea.Third-choice striker Marc Guiu and disappointing winger Alejandro Garnacho, as well as academy starlet Jesse Derry, were their only attacking options off the bench.But Chelsea as a whole looked like a team bereft of confidence and, perhaps most importantly, faith in their head coach.The players solemnly stood in front of an away end full of angry and despondent Blues fans at full-time alongside Rosenior, whose spell as boss is now over.Rosenior did not impress at Chelsea, but he cannot take all of the blameGetty