Liam Rosenior has issued a stark warning to his Chelsea squad, insisting he will not select players he cannot trust to maintain discipline on the pitch. The head coach is losing patience with a recurring problem that has plagued their season.
Pedro Neto's red card in Sunday's 2-1 defeat to Arsenal was Chelsea's ninth dismissal of a turbulent campaign, prompting Rosenior to demand a 'culture of accountability' within the dressing room. The 41-year-old was particularly unhappy with senior players Neto and Enzo Fernández for receiving 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 can't afford to go for a season every two or three games with a red card. It's just not possible.'
Rosenior confirmed that Neto, who was booked twice in four minutes, apologised to his teammates after the match. Chelsea have dropped to sixth, six points behind Aston Villa ahead of Wednesday's visit to Unai Emery's side.
Set-piece defending is another area of concern, with Chelsea conceding seven goals from corners in Rosenior's first 13 games in charge. He has taken personal responsibility for addressing the issue, citing mentality and focus as key factors. He also suggested a season-end review is needed on grappling and goalkeeper crowding at corners, which he believes gives certain teams an unfair advantage.
