Wetin dey happen for Chelsea dis days? The matter don reach level wey players dey talk open open about how club dey run. Marc Cucurella, the Spain left-back wey dey play for Chelsea, don yarn say the club make big mistake when dem sack Enzo Maresca middle of season.
Cucurella talk am to The Athletic while he dey with Spain national team. Him say the decision to bring Liam Rosenior as new manager don cause plenty wahala for the team. “Liam na good person,” Cucurella yarn. “Him sabi handle players well, and him football ideas dey okay. But we no get time to train am. We dey play match every three days, so no time to work for training ground.”
The Spanish defender yarn say with Maresca, things dey more stable because dem work together for 18 months. “With Maresca, we dey play almost by heart,” him add. “If we change system, we know wetin we suppose do. You need that time. Look how Arsenal dey now with Arteta – dem don dey with am for almost seven years. That trust for project dey give reward.”
Cucurella talk say Maresca na “the most important” of all six permanent managers wey him work with for Chelsea. “When manager give you that confidence and offer you platform to fight for titles, you go die for am,” him yarn with passion. “The moment Maresca leave, e affect us well well. These decisions na club own. If you ask me, I no for make this decision.”
But Cucurella no be the only Chelsea player wey dey talk. Enzo Fernandez, the Argentina midfielder, don also yarn say him no understand wetin happen. After Chelsea collect 8-2 aggregate beating from Paris Saint-Germain for Champions League, Fernandez talk to former Argentina player Juan Pablo Sorin. “I no understand am,” Fernandez yarn. “Sometimes as player, some things we no understand and the way dem try to manage things. Maresca departure hurt us well well, especially middle of season – e cut everything short.”
Now make we talk about the new man wey dey suffer for all this wahala – Liam Rosenior. The man wey dem appoint as Chelsea full-time head coach after Maresca leave. Rosenior start well well when him first come, but things don change. Chelsea don lose last four matches for all competitions, dem don knock out for Champions League and Carabao Cup.
But the matter no be only about results. Rosenior sef don cause small wahala with how him dey talk. Videos don dey circulate for social media wey show Rosenior dey break word “manage” into “man age.” Him dey talk say as manager, “you dey age men.” This one make plenty people begin mock am well well.
Even Kevin Kilbane, wey play with Rosenior for Hull City, don talk say the man wey him see for Chelsea no be the same person wey him know before. “Everything wey him talk to me na waffle, drivel, nothing,” Kilbane yarn for Off The Ball podcast. “E dey like him try write as many quotes as possible and try put am for pre-match talk or when him dey address media.”
But Rosenior still get some supporters. Chelsea legend Jimmy Floyd Hasselbank talk say Rosenior sabi football, but football na result-based game. “Dem give, very bravely, somebody like Liam the job,” Hasselbank yarn. “When you do that very bravely, you need give am all chances to succeed. You need give am time.”
Malo Gusto, Chelsea fullback, also defend Rosenior. “I think him na top coach,” Gusto yarn. “I see say plenty people dey criticize am. I no really understand why dem dey criticize am so much. I don work with am since him join Chelsea. Him na top person first of all, top manager as well.”
Meanwhile, for transfer market side, Chelsea dey eye Adam Wharton, Crystal Palace midfielder. Journalist Simon Phillips yarn for Substack say Chelsea dey hope to land the 22-year-old English talent for summer transfer window. Wharton don show say him na reliable midfielder for Premier League this season with seven assists for 41 matches.
If Chelsea fit sign Wharton, e go add more bite and steel to Rosenior midfield. The young boy don already prove himself for Premier League and no go take much time to settle for Chelsea life. But all this transfer talk dey happen while the main wahala for Chelsea na how to make team stable again.
The big question now na whether Rosenior go fit turn things around or whether the mockery wey dey follow am go define him tenure. As Cucurella yarn, the instability for club dey come from how dem change manager middle of season. “To make change like that, the best thing na to wait until end of season,” Cucurella talk. “You for give everyone, players and new manager, time to get ready, have full pre-season.”
Now Chelsea dey face tough period. Results no dey come, players dey talk open about club decisions, and new manager dey struggle to implement him ideas with limited time. The coming weeks go show whether Rosenior go survive this storm or whether Chelsea board go make another decision wey go cause more wahala.
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