Chelsea Q&A: Liam Rosenior future, transfer plans and importance of Champions League qualification | Football News

Chelsea have gone backwards under Liam Rosenior since he took over from Enzo Maresca and Champions League qualification is now in serious doubt.

Rosenior’s side are sixth in the Premier League, one spot outside the Champions League places with six games remaining, but are in a dire run of form, winning just one of the last seven in the competition.

Chelsea’s parent company, BlueCo, has lost £1bn over the last two years, according to their accounts, and missing out on the riches of Champions League football could spell trouble that stretches beyond the financials.

But what does it all mean for Rosenior’s future and this summer’s transfer plans? Sky Sports News chief correspondent Kaveh Solhekol answers the key questions around Chelsea ahead of a crucial end to the season.

How much pressure is Rosenior under?

Liam Rosenior is under a lot of pressure. Chelsea managers are always under pressure, especially when they are not winning and Chelsea are really in a terrible run of form at the moment.

Since the start of February, two and a half months ago, they’ve only won two Premier League games and it is really important that Chelsea qualify for the Champions League.

Rosenior’s got to convince his players that he’s the right man for the job. He’s got to convince Chelsea fans that he’s the right man for the job. And he has to convince the people who appointed him to replace Enzo Maresca back in January that he’s the right man for the job.

When Chelsea fans look at the football that’s being produced on the pitch at the moment, they’re not convinced that he is the right man.

Will Chelsea give Rosenior time?

Chelsea’s position is that Rosenior is their head coach for the long term. They’re going to continue to back him, even if results aren’t great at the moment. They have faith in him.

They’re also planning on keeping him even if they don’t qualify for the Champions League.

But of course, we know football is a results business. We know Chelsea are a big club with demanding fans who are used to success.

They’re just scratching their heads at the moment, thinking, ‘What is going on at our club?’ Because what they’re watching on the pitch doesn’t feel like Chelsea. Where’s the fight from the players? The personality? Where’s the character of the players?

Last summer, they won the Club World Cup. Last season, they qualified for the Champions League and won the Conference League. They were expecting to build on the success of last season.

But you have to say, since Maresca left the club at the beginning of January, pretty much everything has gone backwards.

Can Chelsea afford to miss out on Champions League?

Chelsea’s parent company, BlueCo, released their accounts on Monday and they made losses of around £630m last year.

Missing out on the Champions League financially would cost Chelsea at least £100m. It is absolutely crucial that they qualify for the Champions League again.

Not just financially, of course, but the effect that it will have on their squad because players want to play in the Champions League.

If you’re not in the Champions League, it makes it more likely that players like Enzo Fernandez, for instance, will want to leave.

Also, it has a knock-on effect on the kind of players that you’re able to sign because players want to sign for clubs who are in the Champions League.

But if you look at the table at the moment, it’s not a pretty picture if you’re a Chelsea supporter because you’re four points behind fifth-placed Liverpool, who are in the final Champions League qualification place.

Chelsea are only three points ahead of Bournemouth, who are in 11th.

So if Chelsea don’t start winning again, there’s a real prospect that they may not even finish in the top half of the table, let alone qualify for the Champions League.

Will Chelsea be busy in the summer transfer window?

It depends on whether they’re in the Champions League or not.

Chelsea, historically, are always busy in the transfer window. I’m expecting them to be busy again.

I think they need to look at the goalkeeping situation. It may well be that instead of signing someone, they bring Mike Penders back from Strasbourg. He’s on loan at their sister club.

Chelsea need to sign another centre-back as well.

There’s a general acceptance at Chelsea that they need to sign players who have more character, more personality and players who have experience of playing in the Premier League.