Premier League legend Alan Shearer claims that Chelsea’s decision to go for a manager “with potential” rather than a “big name” is fraught with risk.

Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior is the frontrunner to replace Enzo Maresca, and speaking about the 41-year-old’s appointment, Shearer says the Blues’ last attempt to hire a young English head coach wasn’t particularly successful:

“The big question will be: is he ready for a job the size of Chelsea? Does he know exactly what he’s taking on? We’ve seen a guy go there recently with potential in Graham Potter, and we know what happened to him.”

“I can understand the need for a young, up-and-coming coach. I don’t think Chelsea will get one of the ‘huge’ managers because of the way they want to run the club. So, I guess that’s why they’ll go down the potential route rather than a big-name manager.”

“It would be great for a young English manager to get the job. He chose to go abroad and learn something different, which shows hunger. I know his time at Hull ended strangely, but to go abroad and learn a different lifestyle is impressive. He’ll have to think long and hard about whether it’s the right thing for his career, but Chelsea is a huge club in the mix for trophies. It’ll be very difficult to turn down.”

Shearer says Champions League qualification is a must

Despite the upheaval, Shearer claims that Rosenior will be tasked with ensuring that Chelsea don’t miss out on qualifying for Europe’s top competition:

“Whoever comes in, top four is the target for Chelsea. They’re not going to win the league; I think it’s clear the top two will be City and Arsenal. They have to qualify for the Champions League.”

With the Blues currently sitting in 5th, that may seem like a straightforward remit, but taking over midseason is never easy, and it will be doubly hard for someone who hasn’t managed such a high-profile club before.

When could Chelsea appoint Rosenior?

Under-21 head coach Calum McFarlane will be in charge for the Manchester City fixture, but trusted sources, including The Athletic‘s David Ornstein, claim Rosenior could be in the hotseat soon after the game.

It seems there is a possibility that the former Hull City manager could be in the dugout for the Fulham match on Wednesday evening, but circumstances may still change.

Read more about the Chelsea First Team Squad for 2025/26 here