Football Daily - The Debrief: City go top and Rosenior sacked

Episode Date: April 22, 2026

Alistair Bruce-Ball is joined by Tim Krul, Nedum Onuoha, Curtis Davies and, Clinton Morrison as Manchester City go top of the Premier League following a 1-0 win at Burnley. The result leaves Pep Guardiola’s side level on points with Arsenal, but above on goals scored with just five games remaining of the season.Burnley are relegated to the Championship after just one season in the Premier League, the second time in a row they’ve come up and gone straight back down. What’s next for Burnley and for Scott Parker?Liam Rosenior has been sacked as Chelsea head coach after just 106 days in charge. It follows a run of five defeats without scoring, for the first time since 1912. Alistair Bruce-Ball reacts to the news with BBC Senior Football Correspondent Sami Mokbel, former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin, former team mate of Rosenior, Curtis Davies and, Chelsea fan Alex Churchill.The panel react to the issues at board level with Chelsea, what’s gone wrong, the news that Calum McFarlane will take charge until the end of the season and, what chance they have against Leeds in the FA Cup semi-final.TIME CODES: 00:00 Intro 00:20 Manchester City go top 09:10 Pep Guardiola post Burnley 11:27 Burnley relegated to the Championship 15:04 Scott Parker on relegation 17:29 Chelsea sack Liam Rosenior 20:17 Former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin reacts 23:50 Did recruitment fail? 25:44 Curtis Davies on having worked with Rosenior 27:40 What next for Chelsea? 29:45 Chelsea fan Alex Churchill 35:27 FA Cup semi-final against Leeds5Live commentaries this week Sat 1200 Brighton & Hove v Man City in WSL on Sports Extra, Sat 1500 Wolves v Spurs in Premier League, Sat 1500 West Ham v Everton on Sports Extra, Sat 1715 Man City v Southampton in FA Cup semi-final on Sports Extra, Sat 1730 Arsenal v Newcastle in Premier League, Sun 1200 Everton vs Chelsea in WSL, Sun 1500 Chelsea v Leeds in FA Cup semi-final, Sun 1530 Arsenal v Lyon in UWCL on Sports Extra.

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T's and C. Supply. On the Football Daily podcast, The Debrief. Listen on BBC Sounds. Hello and welcome to the debrief on the Football Daily with myself, Alistair Bruce Ball in the company of Clinton Morrison, Curtis, David Manua and Tim Krull.

More on Liam Resini's departure from Chelsea to come, but first, Manchester City have gone top of the Premier League following a 1-0 win at Burnley, who were relegated to the championship. So, Arsenal had been top for 209 days this season, but a Manchester City team with a track record of absolutely fantastic form in April

are back where it matters as the season enters the final stretch. Five games to go for the top two. And watching Manchester City at Burnley have been Clinton Morrison and Lee Blankman. And Manchester City have been top for just six days this season coming into tonight, and many, Ali, thought it would be routine in them getting back there with a comfortable win here at Turfmore.

However, that was far from the case. Harlan put them ahead after five minutes with a tidy finish on the end of a docu assist. And from that point, it looked like it would be a formality. But not to be. Burnley went down tonight and they went down fighting. Frustrating City going forwards and creating chances of their own, but without seriously testing Donna Rummer

apart from in the first two minutes. Burnley, therefore, are relegated with four games to go, Manchester City top, with a month to go, The big question now is, can they stay there? So, Clinton Morrison. First and foremost, let's just talk about the game and the Manchester City performance. I think you said during the second half,

finishing practice required, but they've got over the line. Yeah, and that's what it's all about. This looks a bit tired and it's hard, isn't it, when you're playing against a team that just wants to defend their box like Burnley wanted to, but when you're playing against a top team like Man City, I thought that's what Burnley, they've done it well and they were looking to play on a counter-attack

and maybe score from set pieces. Man City dominated, and in theory, chances in the first after Bravka made a couple of outstanding saves. If they go in two or three no up, it could have been four or five. So if they've got that second goal, it could have been three or four. But it's all about getting the three points. The goal difference will take care of itself in the last five games. But this was about getting the three points after a hard game on the weekend against Arsenal.

Ned, and what about the psychology of it? So Arsenal have been top for so, so long. I think, you know, we're looking sort of back to early October here over 200 days. Does that matter? Do you know what? You mentioned earlier in the game, if you were an Arsenal player, would you tune in? Yeah.

Not many would have expected Burnley to get a result today. But if you're an Arsenal player or fan, I think you'll take a 1-0 loss for Burnley there. Because I think Arsenal play Burnley in a few weeks, perhaps, and they will probably not be as wasteful with the chances that City were, especially with so much that's on the line and to add context to it I think the was the talk

that the city has been taught for six days this season it's not going to go it's likely to not go beyond this weekend because Arsenal have a league game where a city are in the FA Cup so then before you know we're back in the same situation again

where City are chasing Arsenal provided Arsenal get points on the weekend against Newcastle so yeah I don't think psychologically it matters that much because they've played each other now there's no longer this talk about all the game in April the game in April

instead they're at it's going to be a decider you've got your five games, they've got their five games. If you do well enough and you win your games in a considerable manner, the league title could still very much be Arsenal's, so they have to back themselves. And the fact that, as I say, this game against the side getting relegated in Burnley only finished one nil to City after they had 28 shots on goal and so many big chances,

maybe this is the boost that they need to sort of go into this next spell now and try and turn their form around. Let's do the running thing then, Tim Krawl. You've probably got the games in front of you, but for the benefit of the listeners, I'll read them out. So Manchester City's remaining games. And Nettom is absolutely spot on because it is going to change again because Arsenal actually play twice now

before Manchester City player getting in the league because Manchester City got the Cup semi-final coming up on Saturday. So Tim, Manchester City in the league have Everton away, Brentford home, Bournemouth away, Palace home, and they finish with Villa Home. Arsenal have got Newcastle at home on Saturday, then Fulham home. Now obviously a couple of Atletico-Madrig games

to come in the Champions League semi-final as well. That's got to be taken into consideration. West Ham away, Burnley Home, that's the game that Nedden mentioned, and they finish away to Palace. Out of those two run-ins, which would you prefer? I just keep backing City, if I'm honest. Even though I think when you call it out like that,

the Arsenal fix just looking a little bit more favourable. But Man City at home, I've been on the receiving end of a lot of beatings at the Etiart end. Welcome, man. Welcome, my friend. And yeah, we're in Manchester at the moment. But, yeah, not great memories at that place. But they are capable of turning teams over 4, 5, 6.

And look at them tonight. They could have, well, they should have scored 4, 5, 6. And I just don't see Arsenal this season doing that to teams. And yes, they've been very pragmatic and hard to beat and a great record at home. But they haven't really turned too many teams over, I don't think. So I think, just from a, like, a ranking standpoint, I think

cities running is more difficult. However, Arsenal have two games against that Lescao Madrid. Yeah. And one thing about that is, say, being away in that first leg, that proves to be a tough game and you don't really know how that game's going to go, what the scoreline is going to be

and what the sort of comfort level is going into the second leg, but before that second leg, there'll be a league game. And I think as well, the fact that you obviously, Burnley are down, but two of those last three games against, say, West Ham, who could be fighting for their life at this point, and Palace. And Palace would be interesting

because they could be getting ready for the final of the Conference League. Arsenal's only won one game in the last five. Listen, I'll hold my hands up here. I am a spurs truth and I think they'll stay up even though I've not seen them win a game in 2026. So ultimately some of these like... That's a real fan.

You know what I mean? I cannot help myself. I'm like obsessed with it. So I know where you're coming from but they are a very good side. You know, and if they can find that spark now, then I think it literally could be going out to go all difference on the last day in my opinion.

Okay. Curtis, what, Curtis Davis, what do you think will now see? So Arsenal, finally, they've lost the league. That's, that's sort of gone in a way. I know they're level on point and it's only goal school between them. Do you think that might free them up a little? To be the chase, chaser rather than the chase. A little bit, but I think there is the elephant in the room that you have been top pretty much all season. And ultimately, Arsenal, in terms of in the media and stuff like that,

it's their fans that make it difficult for them. because, you know, because their fans start talking about we're going to win the quadruple and then, oh, no, we still do the treble. Oh, we'll do the double. And I don't think that helps. So I think when they haven't won something for so long, they would be happy with anything.

But having led the Premier League so long, they can still win the Champions League as well, by the way. We're forgetting that because of what's happened in recent weeks. But that's going to be a key factor for me is even if those Athletic Coach games are difficult, there's still the mindset of if you get through those and you get to a final, you know, players are still going to be, yes, we want to win the league,

but there's still an element of Champions League at the end. And, yeah, whether or not it gives them the lift because everybody's fighting for their place in that starting line up for the Champions League, or whether you maybe protect yourself a little bit or even Michel Artetta has one eye on that game, that would be interesting to see coming in the end of the season. How important do you think a seventh title in nine seasons

will be to him as well, having been behind? Because do you know what? I was scribbling down sort of, legacy here. And if you look at the great teams, and Manchester City obviously are already considered one of those. But Liverpool, that great Liverpool team sort of 70s in the 80s, did 7 in 9, 1976 to 984, Manchester United did it, 1993 to 2001. City could do that as well.

I think if they were to get to 7 in 9, like Tim made a noise then and as did I. Like that's obscene when you say it in that way, especially given the nature of some of those, say, titles where they've had to almost finish on like 98 points or 94 points going through the title races against Liverpool in the past

where both sides know in the second half of the season you have to be perfect and it's not necessarily going to be the case this season because we're talking earlier I think Kurt's made the point that in it if the season finishes perfectly for both sides 85 points to win a league which is probably going to be one of the lower tallies that

City have had throughout that time to win it should they do it but I think his legacy in my opinion is probably cemented already. I think the significance that he's had in the last 10 years. And if you want to, for me anyway, look back how significant it's been, we can all go back and look at how people were

talking about him coming to the Premier League saying, oh, this tic-tacca football is not going to work. You know, this is the Premier League. We hold it dearly. Many people expecting him to fail, many people having their doubts. But even if it ends up being six in nine, that's an outrageous amount at a point where the Premier League

has been so competitive. Okay. I'll tell you what. Let's hear from the man himself, the Manchester City manager, Pep Guadiola, after the game, the win at Burnley tonight, his team have gone top of the table, ahead of Arsenal goals scored. He's been speaking to Simon Brotherton. Pep, three points for you tonight, so

job done. It looked like quite a tough night, though. At 1-0 can always be a little bit nervous. Yeah, the last corner. Completely. We make a really, really good game. Unfortunately, we miss a lot of chances. Yeah, you said missed a lot of chances, but you started very, very strongly. Goal after five minutes. Could have had

two in the opening five minutes. It really gave you the platform to go on tonight. Yeah, we defend better at the second half the first. The first half, the first half, the second half, we had less problems. But yeah, we created, yeah, we, I don't know, we scored the second and the third. And they could not believe they draw. And after that moment, we could, you know, be a control more the game. But the game was really well played.

Is it almost more satisfying to claim a win tonight? after a game like the one you had on Sunday, and the intensity of that, because I imagine that's not easy for players to come back out three days later and play to the same sort of levels. Yeah, right, yeah, right. So it was a so demanding game on Sunday,

and of course, it's not easy after three days, but yeah, it was the Premier League, that was at the first, we played a lot of competitions, maybe the final of the Champions League, and the FIA Cubs, and we are used to do it from not all the games, but all the players, I would say, but most of them,

But we compete really well. We make a really, really good game, but yeah, it's a pity that the chances we had. The formula sounds quite simple, doesn't it? You just have to keep winning, find a way to keep winning. Yeah, now we have the Fia Cup, and after that we have, yeah, five games.

Five cup finals in the Premier League as well? Yeah, absolutely. So it's five games, and the Premier League, five games. So the only chance is, is we're not against. Sounds like he's enjoying it to me. That's the Manchester City manager, Pep Guadioly.

Yes, next up for them, Manchester City is Southampton. F-A Cup semi-final on Saturday. Full commentary on sports extra kicks off at 515. Manchester City keep repeating top of the table by virtue of goals score with the 1-0 win at Burnley tonight. Now that means Burnley are relegated to the championship after just one season back in the Premier League. Second time in a row, they've come up and gone straight back down.

what Curtis Davis do you think they will have they will have learned from this this particular season? I think the only way they learn is by looking at Sunderland. I don't think they can learn anything internally because it's the same picture. You know, in terms of players they added, they sprinkled a few players onto the squad

but didn't really go too heavy with the spending or with all due respect with the higher quality that's going to lift the group. So the only example you can really take is, as we said, is Sunderland looking at them that the way they finished their season, I know they won the playoffs, but they had a poor back end to the season.

They had a poor playoffs, actually, but ended up winning it somehow. And then you really worried about what would happen with Sunderland when they came up to the Premier League. Then all of a sudden, Jacques is in the door, this one's in the door, that one's in the door. And you're like, wow, they're going for it. So if they're going to

go down, they're going to go down fighting. And then we look where Sunderland are. We haven't spoken about them since about October. So it's a really, really interesting thing to see. But, yeah, I think they will learn more lessons from looking at others and the way others have structured their campaign than their own. Yeah, Clinton Morrison's been watching at Turf Moore this evening, 4-5 Live. How do you think Scott Parker will reflect on it, Clinton?

I know he's not going to make any decisions or, you know, or the club are in the immediate aftermath. It's going to hurt a relegation. But in terms of the way the club have gone about it and he's been able to go about it this season. No, it was always going to be difficult for Burnley And it always is when Burnley come up to the Premier League It's such a difficult league

It's the best league in the world There's a big gap, no disrespect to the championship There's a massive gap from the championship To the Premier League So when you're recruiting You have to buy players that know about the division And they've got experience And I've said that

And Curtis just alluded to it Sondland went and got Jacqueser And then signed to have good players in and around him Leeds went Occo-4 was a brilliant signing And then they got Calvert Lewin Tim mentioned earlier, who can score goals. So I think your recruitment's massive when you come to the Premier League.

There's been murmurs from Burnley fans that have not been happy about Scott Parker. But I hope Burnley do stick with Scott Parker because it's so difficult. And I think, because as Curtis said, they'll go back down to the championship. But they'll be one of the favourists to come straight back up and win it. And I just hope they can stick with him. Tim Krull, Kyle Walker has been speaking one of the quotes I see. I came here with a dream to keep this club up. Hopefully we can do the fans proud next season.

Whether they keep, whether Scott Parker stays or not, do you expect Burnley to mount a strong challenge again in the championship next season? It's all going to be about the mindset. I've been in the changing room where you've got players who doubled the wages, tripled the wages, massive bonuses, and then having to go back to the championship, getting your salary cut by 50%. It's a different mindset.

And the quicker the club can accept that and have that humble mindset of we are championship players. players. And I think talking of experience, I've been in changing rooms where it took too long for the club and the changing room to accept that. And it's the hardest leak in the world to get out of. And you need everybody aligned.

So for Burnley, again, they need to just reset. They need to get players who are hungry. Got a point to proof that got them in the promotion in the first place. So Burnley relegated along with wolves. Here's the Burnley boss, Scott Parker, after they were relegated to the championship. Scott, what a tough night for you and for everyone connected with Bernie. You knew this was coming in all likelihood, but I guess it doesn't make it any easier when it actually arrives.

Oh, it doesn't make it any easier, of course. And I think when the curtain comes down, which it obviously has now, and the ambition and the drive throughout the year was this optimism of obviously trying to send a league and we're just falling a little bit short now. And I think that's obviously, that's been put there clearly in front of us. I think overall, Simon, to be honest with you, the performance tonight probably spoke volumes of us as a group and as a team, really, because you're right, the inevitable was there. And we faced an absolute steam train in Man City. And for me, I'm proud of players that represented exactly what we stand for, really.

And we've just fallen a little bit short again tonight, really. You know, you're playing against Man City. You're going to have a few opportunities. In fact, we probably had quite a few, to be fair. And we just fallen a little bit short and we're clinical in their moments. overall, a brilliant performance considering where we are and what we've been through, really. And like I said, for that, I'm immensely proud of the team. It's been a relentless season for all of us, really, me included.

And that's been a real challenge. Of course, I think my main focus has been throughout this year, and it is to this day, is trying to get the best out of this team per game every week in the toughest league. So as always, we'll sit down and we'll, like I said, reflect, work out where we move forward. and we'll go from there. I eat sports. So here's the... On BBC Sounds.

Smash straight back down the ground. Here ball by ball coverage of the biggest competitions on the domestic and international circuits. It's a board cricket and it's the huge one. Two, sports. Settled out of it. Cricot on Five Live Sport. Oh, blibing every ball of this.

Listen on BBC Sounds. Let's get more on the news that Chelsea of Sackley and Rossinia after less than four months in charge and on the back of losing five consecutive league games without scoring for the first time since 1912. BBC Sports Senior Football correspondent Sammy Mockbell joins us on Five Live Sport. I have to say Sammy,

I was listening to Five Live and John Southall's update. I had an eye on the game as well. And right from the start, like first 10, 15 minutes, it actually felt like the kind of performance from Chelsea that sees a manager get sacked. And that's what's happened. Yeah, that's right, Ali. It was the tipping point, wasn't it?

Dreadful performance, but I don't think we can say that that was the only reason that the performance at the Amex last night is the sole reason. It's been coming. And I don't, it's not that I have any sympathy with the ownership or the leadership team there at Chelsea, but they wanted to persist with Liam Rossini. They wanted to give him a chance to success. But I think it's really quickly unraveled there and it became abundantly clear that to the want of a better expression, he was just completely out of his depth. I think he lost the players.

I think there are other reasons, tactical reasons why the team haven't performed. And last night was the culmination of that. And I don't think it was a surprise today that he lost his job. in that case Sammy do you think it's more on the board then than it is on Liam Resinia in terms of just making the appointment in the first place? I think they've got to absolutely take their fair share of blame of the blame because what they have done over these last two appointments, obviously in Moreska and Leon Ressina they've affected, okay look Moreska had a good season didn't he with Lester

but they've both been project managers and when you're. appoint a project manager, you are taking somewhat of risk just given that they don't have the kind of experience that you would expect a Chelsea manager to have. But they put their faith in these guys and for whatever reason and now various reasons, it hasn't worked out. Neither have worked out, although you could argue that Chelsea had a successful season last season, qualifying for the Champions League and winning the Club World Cup. But certainly with Liam senior, I think it was apparent pretty early on, that he just wasn't going to be the man to take the club forward. So absolutely, yeah, you know, the, the ownership structure there and

the leadership group there have to take semblance of blame for, and responsibility for what's happened today. Whenever a big Chelsea story breaks, you always need the wise words of Pat Nevin, the former Chelsea winger, delighted to say he joins us on Five Life Sport this evening as well. So Pat, when you heard that news this afternoon When you got the call from us, were you at all surprised? You would have to be a bit simple to be surprised in that situation With all the evidence in front of you.

So Sammy talks about the kind of micro stuff, the kind of short-term stuff, and that's fine. You have to look at a macro level. You have to look at a bigger level than this. This is four seasons that your ownership has been in. it's his manager number six that you've had in that period of time Tucho, Potter, I'm putting lamps in there as well

Pocetino Marisco, Mariska and Resina and you change it that amount of times, you've got to ask the question is the problem the manager? Is it really the manager? Because you're moving it on that quickly. You spent a lot of money.

Now, the club was in a terrible situation when they took over. You know, it's horrible, horrible times for the club. So they definitely deserve served a couple of years worth of grace. But this is four years now. This is 1.5 billion pounds spent.

This is a methodology that clearly doesn't look as if it's working particularly well. The thing that gets a lot of football folk in this country is it's a model that we feel uncomfortable with. This whole responsibility without authority

if you're a manager or a coach. Then people turn around and go, oh, I'm delighted you get rid of Rossini. What's he got to do with him? He's just a coach. He didn't choose of players. It just happens to be in there. So it's one of those ones. I try not to get too upset or annoyed or angry about it, but I do

get upset for the Chelsea fans. Because, you know, we're all talking about Liam McSignor just now. It shouldn't be a surprise because what limitations. He clearly didn't have the team playing for him, first of all, to go back to the micro level again. The team spirit

wasn't there. I was at the Everton game when they played against Everton up at the Hill Dickinson and I was surrounded by six. international players to play for everyone and everyone in them said the same thing no leadership no spirit now you can say that's the manager

or you can say wait a minute is this thing working really just now so they weren't buying the manager and they're not buying the ideology just now so it's not a small problem of Liam Ossinia if you think that's the problem in you're a Chelsea fan

you're deluding yourself it's something much much bigger and wider I mean we'll often say, won't we Pat, sometimes when, you know, like Thomas Frank at Spurs this season, oh, the job was too big for him. I wouldn't say that. No, right. I think that's a cliche.

I'll start a really good thing. It's a cliche that people do say that, you know, but you have to look at the underlying problems. And a lot of the underlying problems are, you know, why have you not get any leadership on the pitch? Well, the initial ideology was you get all these young players in. there's a lot of people saying well wait a minute then where have you got there you need some people that have been through this all before to help these

youngsters come through but there doesn't seem to be anyone like that at the club and yeah I was willing to give it a lot of a period of time and say right okay this is new this is novel doesn't mean because it's novel that is wrong but it doesn't look great does it he's absolutely right in that there isn't the

the top level experience I guess in that squad to try and nurture these or help these younger players, these talented younger players along. But from what I understand, and the proof would absolutely be the pudding in the summer, that they want to target,

and I think they haven't identified the lack of leadership in the squad as an issue. And from what I understand, they do want to target, and this would be a shift away from their current recruitment model, they want to target more experienced players to help that younger group, the younger core of players that they have there,

develop. And if they can, I'm not making excuses for them, but if they can get that recruitment right this summer, I still believe that there is an attractive core of younger players in that squad. That would benefit. Sammy, can I come back to you in that just for a second? Sure, sure. Do you think there'd be a big chorus of football people saying,

told you so? Because if everybody said... I think you're absolutely right, yeah. No, you're absolutely right. And, you know, and if you've done that, you've made a lot of errors as you've gone along and it's a methodology, you know, when you're sacked the manager,

there's a lot, a few other people should be putting their hands up as well. I mean, I go on the side of people, you know, the managers because they're ex-players and, you know, I have an affinity with them as well. And it's back to that phrase, I said before, you're given all the responsibility, but you need to have the authority to make the decisions.

Well, that's not the case. That's basic management theory. That's not going to do with football management. That's management theory. And that's all they've got just now. That's all that's happened just now. So if they do make that change, Sammy, I, for one, who's someone who has a love for the club,

would be delighted that it happened. I just hope they choose the right ones. So we've got Pat Nevin, Sammy Motbell with us. We'll hear the views of a Chelsea fan in a second. Curtis Davis sitting alongside me in the studio tonight. You played with Liam at Hull and you like Pat and Sammy will have heard this news this afternoon. Harsh or inevitable.

How do you see it? I have to have my two hats on this. I think removing the fact that he's a friend of mine, he's somebody that I've worked with as a coach and as a player and I've known him for 20 years. So remove that. You're looking at Blue Co Group that Had him in situ at Strasbourg.

They'd had day-to-day conversations with him, knew what he was all about, and chose to put him in what we think is the poison chalice of Chelsea Football Club. So they put him there. Started off okay, you know, only losing to Arsenal, and then there's gone on this horrific run recently that we can't defend.

So my thoughts are on Blue Co. Is it Liam's for or is it theirs? I think they put him in situ for this job that may have been too early for him and that was their decision. But the other side of it is in history of Chelsea Football Club since the turn of the century

when they've been winning things, if you go six, because including the PSG game as well, if you go six games out of the last seven with the one being against Port Vail what they won seven-nil, without scoring, or winning the game

and you lost all of those six games, any other Chelsea manager would have been sacked. So, yeah, real shame for Liam. and ultimately what's next for Chelsea? Because when we speak about Liam going, yeah, it's all good to get rid of the manager. But what is next? Because the Chelsea of old could get Ancelotti,

could get Marino, could get the best of the best. Who now? Because unless, you know, if you want a payday, it's good to go Chelsea and maybe get sacked. But if you actually want to progress your career, it might not be the best option. Now Curtis makes, I think Curtis makes it,

hit the nail on the head there with regards to what next. And some of the sort of the sound things and the industry people that I've spoken to today have echoed similar sentiments as Curtis just has, is that what elite manager or what manager who is on the up would consider taking the Chelsea job as big as it is and as top drawers as being Chelsea's head coaches in terms of that person's standing in European football.

Just because of the way the club is run, the current recruitment model, I think that they may struggle to get the names that they want to get. I know this is with hindsight, but do you think when they came to Liam Rossini, if we go back to when he was appointed, do you think he should have taken it? Or do you think he should have carried on doing what he was doing

because this is obviously now a big setback in his career? Yeah, I think, There's two sides to it. I think Liam, in the way that he is, and some of the, we spoke earlier about some of the comments and stuff like he makes, he is a bit of a nerd when it comes to football. Honestly, he's a student of the game and he loves the game,

and he would have manifested that he's going to do this job eventually. The fact that 18 months after getting sacked from hole, he is now getting offered the Chelsea job, he never in his wildest dreams would have believed it. But if you're part of Blue Co group, it's different if you're then going to work for a different group of owners, you're having to get to know new people. but he must have felt comfortable enough that I speak with these people weekly.

I have weekly meetings. I have all the chats that they know him and they've chosen him. So he must have had a level of comfortability in taking the job, but also it's Chelsea. You know, the opportunity to go to the Premier League, to go to a massive club, go and managing the Champions League. They don't come around too often. So I think sometimes you can always, you know, fall from the tree a little bit easier from Chelsea then, you know, If it doesn't go well at Strasbourg, where'd you go after that?

Well, that's Curtis Davis, who played with Liam Rossini at Hull. And let's bring our Chelsea fan in now. He's been patiently waiting. That is Alex Churchill. So, Alex, I'm sure you've been listening to our conversation. What's knowing laugh? What's your reaction to the news today? All aboard the crazy train again.

Yeah, I feel quite bad for him. I just go straight away and say that, like, sometimes someone's, not just not right and he wasn't right. I don't think it will damage his career. I think people will go back and go, yeah, but it was Chelsea and they're nuts. I think also as well, had it hit the papers that Liam Rossini, of all people had been offered the Chelsea job, but he didn't take it. You would have thought he was barking mad. Of course he's going to take it and hope for the best because he's ambitious. But it was not a good fit. That said, I wish him well. the bodies are piling up now

and I think the call is coming from inside the house at the moment I think that if his head has to roll then so do the sporting directors because I just think they've demonstrated repeatedly now that they are woefully out of their depth and I think if you're going to bin off the manager then I don't think those two should still be around either Alex when obviously they appointed Liam

he got off to what I would consider a decent start I haven't only lost to Arsenal, who at the time were considered probably the best team in Europe or the best team in the world, shall we say. Yeah. Do you feel even at that time there was kind of, and listen, we're in the media here up in at the BBC. But do you feel it was like waiting for him for fail, always trying to pick on every little thing he said wrong or every little quotable kind of nerdy thing that he said that like I said to Ali Bruce Ball? Do you feel like he was just made a meme? He was kind of, I guess, asked disrespectful questions that they would never ask

Pep Guardiola's, Jose Marinoes. And from there, obviously, once they start losing, it looks a lot worse when these quotes are now coming out again? I think so. I think there's an element of that. But I also think that he was with us, what, three months in the end? And I think we only dubbed him LinkedIn Liam kind of in the last four or five weeks.

So I think Chelsea fans were ready to give him a chance. I think, like I said, the bodies are piling up and you want this, we're being told there's a plan and you want the plan to succeed. And I don't think from the fan-based perspective, everybody was like willing him to fail or waiting for him to fail and not cutting him a break. But in the, I mean, it's definitely in the last month or so, like the discontent that started rumbling.

Like, you get changing a defender for a defender when you're losing in, like, injury time and stuff like that. It just didn't feel like he knew what to do. And I think he was inexperienced. at that level and I think at that point people started to believe that maybe he wasn't cut out for the job but like I said I don't think

anyone actually like is celebrating that he's been fired I think they're potentially would like to see someone else in the role but I don't I've not hearing any fans with like real animosity for him as a person or a professional or anything like that

it just wasn't a good fit Callan McFarlane back in charge FA Cup semi-final against Leeds on Sunday and then rest of the season to come, how confident do you feel about him taking charge? And then the long-term question obviously is, who would you like to see? Before I answer that, I just also wanted to mention as well that these, we're playing Leeds at Wembley in the FA Cup at the weekend,

and they're groveling for people to buy additional tickets, which I think shows you how disconnected the fan base feels from the club. And I think the end of their statement was really telling as well when they said they're going away for a period of self-reflection, which sounds really lame, but I can't is that them saying, like, we're going to take a look at how we're doing this. And also as well,

they've announced something called Blueprint, which is going to be an opportunity for a selection of fans to interact directly with the club. In terms of the short term, I mean, we're luckily in a position where nothing can really go hideously wrong from here. We're already not going to make the Champions League. Callum, everybody was fired.

with him coming in temporarily on it was only for like a week. But I think there's very little that can go tragically wrong from here or now. And I think you always get that bump, don't you, after losing the manager? And I'd hope, like the last couple of games, the players have just looked abject. And whether Liam Rossignor was a nice guy or not or competent or not, he clearly didn't have the backing of the players, which I think is, I mean, they need to take some blame as well. But you would hope that, all right, he's gone now. can you please pull your finger out and start acting like you actually care about the result at this point?

A friend of mine said to me last night, he said, like, I honestly think if you look at this line-up that played last night, would any of them get anywhere near your all-time Chelsea 11? And like, you'd be mad if you said yes, I think. In terms of who takes the job long term, I think already we're not going to get a top-drawn manager. And I think even if you're a mid-range manager, I'm looking at the club and I'm looking at the way it's run. and I'm not even going to contemplate taking the job until the structure in it changes. I say it again, I think the sporting directors need to go.

I think they're woefully out of their depth and it's been demonstrated for long enough and that's where they need to be looking to make a change and honestly if I'm Ariola or someone else who's kind of got a proven track record in the Premier League then I'm going to be like, well, if they're still there then probably not because the same thing keeps happening. I mean Pat just talking about

all those great players and great leaders. What chance do you give Chelsea at Wembley on Sunday against Leeds in the FA Cup semi-final? Yeah, they've got a chance. When you bring it back down to who's missing, there's a good bunch of players missing just now that they could really do it with. And they've shown earlier in the season, you mentioned they did a decent job under Moreska. They were doing okay.

So, you know, there's a team in there somewhere. I would say they're now probably underdogs. But, you know, they lifted himself a little bit, you know, the last time we changed. managers and Callum come in and they've done okay and he put in you know slot A into tab B and it kind of worked okay and that's possible that that could happen they'll get a little bit of left against Leeds United but I would still say at the moment leads in the form that they're in and the battling spirit that they've got because they go back to may I say Alex talk so much sense but I would have to say that because she said everything I said I agree with her so

well done Alex but the fact that you've actually got somebody else coming in a new voice will he get more out of Col Palmer if he's not on the pitch? No, of course he's not going to do that. You know, Jacques-Ga-Pedro's probably not going to be in the pitch. Esteval is not going to be on the pitch. And there's your difficulty.

You've managed to put together a squad that you thought was going to be balanced. And there's a problem you get a lot of youngsters in. It's even two or three of the major ones are out. You're left with very young players. And I go back to another game. Remember the PSG game at Stanford Bridge and Chelsea put her back three

against the best three in European football just now but they put her back three two of whom had never played in those positions before and were kids basically very very early 20s, late teens sort of thing and you're thinking

this is just not balanced and what Alex was saying there we used to look back and have a JT Petitschek and all these players and you're looking and saying have we get one of them

so there's a massive, massive job to be done there. But can you do it in a one-off against League United? Yeah, maybe. But your second favourites. Five-life sport comes from Wembley on Sunday. That is Chelsea against Leads in the FA Cup semi-final. You can find a full list of our Five Live commentaries this weekend

in the description of this podcast. That's it for this episode of the debrief. Next up on the Football Daily will be the Euroleaks. Women's Football Weekly. The latest news, insights and analysis from across the women's game. Dame Serena Vigman. Are we including Dame in your title now? You know how much an honour that is?

I'm interested! You want to play in a way that they can show their skills, so that's what we're trying to do. Win the World Cup. It's a dream. Listen. With the BBC Sounds app.