Much of the talk around Liam Rosenior’s appointment at Chelsea has been about continuity. Some players will be satisfied with that, but others will be hoping their new head coach can bring about a change in their fortunes.Any players who were hoping that this hiring would drastically alter the club’s rotation policy are likely to be disappointed. It is a Chelsea approach, not an Enzo Maresca outlook, and Rosenior himself is used to regularly switching up his squad: Strasbourg are among the sides that make the most changes both in-game and to their line-ups in Ligue 1.So ahead of Rosenior’s first game in charge of Chelsea, against Charlton in the FA Cup tomorrow evening, The Athletic takes a look at the winners — and absence of losers — in the Chelsea squad.Liam DelapInjuries have kept Delap off the pitch for most of his Chelsea career so far, but even when fit, he has struggled.Before his strike against Fulham on Wednesday night, his only goal since the Club World Cup came in Chelsea’s 3-0 victory over Barcelona in November, and fans have been frustrated by his poor discipline. He was dismissed after two yellow cards on his return from injury in October and has been booked twice more since, most recently for a tussle with Manchester City’s Abdukodir Khusanov in their 1-1 draw at the Etihad.Rosenior has already helped Delap through a difficult spell once, when managing the striker on his loan at Hull City in 2023-24. Delap had struggled on loans at Stoke City and Preston North End, but his eight goals in 31 Championship appearances at Rosenior’s Hull earned his move to Ipswich Town.“(Delap) came to us and his confidence was shattered,” Tan Kesler, then Hull’s vice-chairman and now the chief executive of Polish club Pogon Szczecin, told The Athletic. “He was doubting his ability, but we knew he had the quality. Liam and his staff worked with him one-on-one in meetings to educate him.”Two seasons on, Delap is once again in need of support to rebuild his confidence. He has shown glimpses of his ability on the pitch — such as his nice finish against Fulham — but without consistency. A fresh start with a friendly face in the dugout could do wonders for him — especially given Rosenior would be turning to a striker who is starting to hit form.
Can Liam Delap maintain form and fitness under a familiar face? (Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)Andrey SantosAnother player already familiar with Rosenior, after spending the whole of last season (and half of 2023-24, before Rosenior’s arrival) on loan at Strasbourg. Santos enjoyed his best form under Rosenior in France, scoring 10 goals in 32 Ligue 1 outings.Santos’ Chelsea career has been mixed so far. He impressed defensively in Moises Caicedo’s absence at Burnley and Manchester City, and also started against Fulham, but has not shown the same spark in a more advanced role. Reconnecting with the same manager who helped him realise that potential in Ligue 1 should be the perfect way to revive his attacking instincts.
Marc Guiu… with knock-on effectsDespite being recalled from his loan at Sunderland after Delap’s injury, striker Guiu has struggled for minutes even in his absence. Joao Pedro was the first choice to push forward into the No 9 position, and Guiu has only started one Premier League game so far.When appearing off the bench, Guiu’s inexperience sometimes shows, but his tireless pressing will appeal to Rosenior, who wants an energetic and front-footed approach and is willing to give raw talents a try.If Guiu is trusted to deputise for Delap more often, it would allow Joao Pedro to focus on a deeper role where he could rotate with Cole Palmer — two players for whom reduced minutes might be a disappointment, but a valuable way to protect them from injury. Joao Pedro has also looked more comfortable deployed behind a striker, rather than leading the line himself.Jamie GittensWithout wanting to assign too much of Rosenior’s time to psychological support rather than football coaching, Jamie Gittens could really do with some of that much-heralded confidence-boosting and individual encouragement.His time at the club so far has largely been a vicious cycle of struggling to break into the team and looking low on confidence and match sharpness when he has appeared. Rosenior’s possible impact here is twofold: as well as the man-management that has helped lift players in the past, the slight differences in Rosenior’s attacking approach could also suit Gittens’ attributes on the pitch better.So far at Chelsea, Gittens has struggled to adapt to the physicality of the Premier League and often has been second-best in duels, lacking the space and confidence to unleash his best skill: his dribbling. His technical quality has been shown with excellent assists provided against Burnley and Leeds United, but he has struggled to get into promising positions to create chances.As The Athletic’s Mark Carey detailed in this tactical breakdown, Rosenior likes his teams to pull opponents out of shape and create space for attackers to exploit quickly on the transition. Gittens’ pace and ball-carrying prowess make him a great fit for that job.Rather than forcing him into prolonged battles in congested areas, he should enjoy more space to run into and showcase his speed and technique under less pressure from opponents.
Gittens’ key attributes could flourish under Rosenior (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)Will there be any losers?No outfield players should have to reinvent themselves. There is no real suggestion that any wingers or full-backs will be asked to turn into wing-backs, and the build-up shape Rosenior used at Strasbourg is quite similar to what Chelsea’s players have become accustomed to under Maresca.One of the more eye-catching elements of watching Strasbourg is the advanced role of goalkeeper Mike Penders in build-up. Robert Sanchez is in strong form and is no stranger to being asked to play out from the back, but replicating what Rosenior has had Penders do at Strasbourg would be taking it to a new level.It took time for Sanchez to earn the licence to kick long from Maresca, and that has generally made for an easier watch for supporters. Whether Rosenior is prepared to flex his approach in the same way remains to be seen — and, if he is not, how Sanchez adapts to that change will be interesting.
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