Mikel faults Chelsea for sacking Maresca for Rosenior
Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has criticised the club’s decision to sack Enzo Maresca, describing it as “absolutely crazy,” and claims the Blues have gone “five steps backwards” under
Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has criticised the club’s decision to sack Enzo Maresca, describing it as “absolutely crazy,” and claims the Blues have gone “five steps backwards” under Liam Rosenior, as reported by Metro Sport.
Maresca was dismissed on New Year’s Day, less than six months after guiding Chelsea to the Club World Cup at the end of his first season.
The Italian also led the team to a fourth-place Premier League finish and a Europa Conference League triumph in his debut campaign. At the time of his dismissal, Chelsea sat fifth in the Premier League, having won just one of their previous seven league matches.
Rosenior, who replaced Maresca after leaving Strasbourg, enjoyed an impressive start, winning six of his first seven games.
However, recent results have seen Chelsea lose momentum, dropping points at home against relegation-threatened Leeds United and Burnley, leaving them three points behind top-four rivals Manchester United.
Rosenior also failed to secure a Carabao Cup final spot, losing 4-2 on aggregate to Premier League leaders Arsenal.
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Reflecting on Chelsea’s form, Obi Mikel said on his podcast: “It’s not convincing from Chelsea, not convincing. Honestly, it’s a s***show at the club, there’s no question about that.
“Man United being above Chelsea, given how they started the season, is just incredible. It’s awful to see. I don’t see any consistency.”
He added: “We had Enzo Maresca, and I think it was a massive mistake to sack him. I still stand by that. We don’t know the ins and outs, but it’s ridiculous.
“A manager who won us the Club World Cup and the Conference League gave us an identity on the pitch. To sack him was absolutely crazy. We’ve gone five steps backwards. Yes, Liam has won games, but something is missing. Something is not quite right.”
Rosenior, meanwhile, admitted frustration after Chelsea’s 1-1 draw with Burnley, with Zian Flemming’s injury-time header cancelling out Joao Pedro’s early opener.
“We should have won the game,” he said. “The best teams are ruthless when they have the upper hand. If you’re not ruthless, you have to keep a clean sheet. There are not enough clean sheets.”
