Chelsea‘s Champions League humbling by Paris Saint-Germain has left them with just the FA Cup and finishing in the Premier League‘s top five to focus on for the rest of the season.
The 8-2 thrashing by the reigning European champions was a marker of how far back the Blues are in the elite tier of clubs, even after reaching the 75th-minute mark in Paris level.
And there’s a whole host of questions facing Liam Rosenior, the players and the Chelsea board after the Champions League exit.
Here, our Chelsea expert KIERAN GILL addresses the key issues…
Chelsea’s humbling by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League was a stark reminder of the gap between the Blues and Europe’s elite
Is Liam Rosenior under pressure?
The suggestion on social media, largely originating from accounts abroad with big followings for their transfer tales, has been that Chelsea’s hierarchy are already losing patience with Liam Rosenior.
When checking these claims, it has been insisted that we should take no notice of such speculation, and that it is not the case. Rosenior was appointed two months ago. He signed a six-and-a-half-year contract. We are told he maintains a good relationship with those upstairs at Chelsea, as he did when managing Strasbourg. Agents of players say the squad like Rosenior and are behind him.
When Rosenior takes his pre-Everton press conference at 1.30pm tomorrow at Cobham, I imagine he will stress how much they still have to fight for this season. Co-owners Behdad Eghbali and Todd Boehly were both at Stamford Bridge for the PSG clash on Tuesday. Boehly is not a regular attendee at matches, but he made sure to be there for that one.
What he witnessed was a disastrous night to end a disastrous week. There can be no denying that. The Champions League is where this club wants to be. It is a primary target, has been since the season started, and they are in the chase in the Premier League – just a point behind fifth-placed Liverpool with eight games to go.
What would happen with Rosenior this summer if Chelsea missed out on the Champions League? Not a clue. No point in pretending otherwise. That would be a question for answering if and when that were to happen, and obviously Rosenior and Chelsea hope it will not.
Liam Rosenior is coming under pressure – mostly from abroad – and that will only increase if he cannot get Chelsea back into the Champions League next season
What’s happening with Enzo Fernandez?
Chelsea’s vice-captain Fernandez has dropped…