Protests and another costly loss - pressure mounts on Rosenior's Chelsea
It is a damaging return, particularly given Rosenior's calls for more time on the training pitch. Despite having free midweeks to prepare for his past two fixtures, Chelsea have still lost to Manchester City and Manchester United . He had hoped the March international break would act as a reset for his side's poor form, but the decline has continued into April.
Before kick-off, the view inside the club was that Rosenior remains secure in his position and that, even if Chelsea fail to qualify for the Champions League, he will be assessed at the end of next season following his first full campaign. "I think we're behind Liam. Of course, it's a results business, but we think he can be successful long term," influential owner Behdad Eghbali said on Thursday at the CAA World Congress of Sports event in Los Angeles.
Eghbali also acknowledged that a lack of managerial stability has been one of the key issues behind Chelsea falling short in recent seasons. It will be brave, however, to stick with Rosenior if his messaging is not getting across to the players - with Chelsea supporters famously impatient given the hiring and firing under previous owner Roman Abramovich. Enzo Fernandez returned for Chelsea after an internal two-match ban There is anger directed at Rosenior, but many Chelsea supporters also point the finger at Eghbali, Boehly and the rest of the BlueCo ownership.
The latest protest saw supporters march from The Wolfpack Inn pub to Stamford Bridge before kick-off, having grown from a turnout of about 200 before the Brentford match to more than 500 before Saturday's tie. There were flares, banners and chants directed at the owners, as well as calls in support of former owner Abramovich. Under the terms of the takeover agreement in 2022, the current ownership group cannot sell the club until at least 2032.
However, there are signs they are willing to listen to some of the criticism, including calls to recruit more experienced players. "We recognise we need balance. You tweak a model, you improve and you learn from mistakes," Eghbali said.