Liam Rosenior has warned his Chelsea players that he will not select those he cannot trust to stay out of trouble with referees. The head coach is losing patience with his squad’s discipline problems and has indicated that team selection will be based on who is improving their behaviour.
Chelsea’s discipline came under scrutiny again after Pedro Neto’s red card in the 2-1 defeat against Arsenal on Sunday. The winger’s dismissal was the club’s ninth of an erratic campaign, leaving Rosenior deeply unimpressed. Senior players Neto and Enzo Fernández both received bookings for dissent at the Emirates Stadium.
“If you look at our stats, when we have 11 men on the pitch our chance of winning goes through the roof,” Rosenior said. “That needs to be motivation in itself to make sure we stay disciplined in key moments… I need to see improvement in that. I need to adjust my team selection based on who is showing those capabilities.”
Rosenior revealed that Neto, who was booked twice in four minutes, apologised to his teammates after the defeat. Chelsea have dropped to sixth and are six points below Aston Villa before visiting Unai Emery’s side on Wednesday.
Better defending at set-pieces is another focus. Chelsea have conceded seven goals from corners in Rosenior’s first 13 games in charge. “I’ve taken more responsibility in the last week because I know it’s something that needs to improve,” he said. “It’s down to mentality, focus and concentration.”
Rosenior also called for a review at the end of the season to address grappling and the crowding of goalkeepers at corners, which he said gives an unfair advantage to certain teams.
