Liam Rosenior insisted he will be his “own man” at Chelsea and hailed the potential of the squad in his first press conference since taking over.
The new head coach will take charge of the Blues for the first time on Saturday evening when they make the short trip to face Championship side Charlton in the FA Cup third round.
Rosenior was appointed as Enzo Maresca’s replacement on January 6, after the Italian left amid a breakdown in relations with the board.
Much has been made about the apparent power struggle between Maresca and BlueCo – the consortium that purchased Chelsea in 2022 – in recent weeks.
Reports claimed Marseca became frustrated that he did not have sole charge of picking players, controlling the medical department or steering recruitment. The ownership, chiefly represented by Behdad Eghbali, also regularly provided technical feedback.
His decision to ignore medical advice on players returning from injury and play them for too long was said to have contributed to his exit.
Rosenior spent last season in France, with Strasbourg, a club also owned by BlueCo, and has been labelled by some as a coach who will toe the line better than Maresca.
Ahead of his debut in the Chelsea dugout, the 41-year-old was asked if he was worried about how much control he would have in west London.
“I don’t think it’s possible to ever be in this job and not be your own man,” Rosenior said Friday.
“People will see through you straightaway. I will make the decisions at this football club. That’s why I’ve been brought in.
“I’m not an alien. I know what’s being said in the press. But there’s no way you can be successful as a manager if you don’t make the decisions for yourself.
“The great thing for me is, I have experience of working in this set-up. The guys have been nothing but supportive for me at Strasbourg.
“We’ve had huge success at that club, from where the project started. I intend to work in exactly the same way here.”
Rosenior watched from the stands at Craven Cottage on Wednesday as Chelsea were beaten 2-1 by Fulham in the west London Derby.
Despite the defeat, he insisted there were plenty of positives to take from the performance, and suggested the potential of his squad, who have won just one of their last nine Premier League games, is “limitless”.
He said: “With the talent that we have, and actually not just the talent, the level of professionalism of the group, the intensity at which they’ve trained the last two days, their engagement to something new — there’s really, really positive signs here.
“I never limit the ambitions of my group. We’ve got world-class players here. We’ve got players who have won World Cups.
“The lads won the Club World Cup a matter of months ago. I watched that game, and they were absolutely magnificent against PSG. The potential for this club, for this group, is limitless.
“I won’t limit limitlessness. I want to be successful. I’m ambitious. People know that about me. But I always have to make sure we get from where we are to where we need to be.
“That takes time. I’m not asking for too much time. But at the same time, you need to make sure you know where your process is headed.”
Rosenior also sent a message directly to Chelsea fans, who made their feelings clear on the club’s ownership on Wednesday, with chants directed against both Clearlake Capital and Eghbali from the away section at Craven Cottage.
“I think a club of this stature, the fans want success and they have every right to want success now,” he said.
“This club is ingrained in the history of winning trophies, especially in recent history. Winning titles or winning the Champions League.
“And the fans should have those demands and those standards. To win over the fans, I need to win games of football.
“To win over the fans, I think they need to see a team that represents them. I know this area well. I was born not far up the road. It’s about hard work. It’s about determination and spirit.”
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