‘Better choice’ – Paul Scholes names the manager Chelsea should have hired | Football

Paul Scholes believes there was a ‘better choice’ for the Chelsea job than new Stamford Bridge boss Liam Rosenior.

The relatively inexperienced and unproven Rosenior was confirmed as Chelsea’s new head coach on Tuesday.

The 41-year-old, whose three previous managerial spells have come at Strasbourg, Hull City and Derby City, signed a six-year deal with the Blues.

The Chelsea board turned to Rosenior after Enzo Maresca left his role at the club on New Year’s Day.

Maresca won the Club World Cup and Conference League in his first season in west London but performances tailed away during a difficult December.

Chelsea had won just two of their last nine games before ex-Leicester City boss and Pep Guardiola’s former assistant Maresca agreed to depart.

On top of poor form on the pitch, Maresca was starting to make enemies at Stamford Bridge and had an increasingly strained relationship with his bosses.

Rosenior quickly emerged as the frontrunner to replace Maresca given his connection with Chelsea’s owners, who also oversee his former club Strasbourg.

In the statement confirming Rosenior’s appointment, Chelsea said the former Premier League player ‘has the ability to get the best out of this squad quickly’.

But former Manchester United and England midfielder Scholes has questioned the appointment and suggested Cesc Fabregas would have been a ‘better choice’.

Fabregas, who won two Premier League titles at Chelsea as a player, was tentatively linked with the job before Rosenior was chosen.

The Spain legend is arguably even more inexperienced than Rosenior but has impressed at Italian side Como since 2023 and has long been tipped as a top manager of the future.

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Asked whether Fabregas could be a candidate for the Manchester United following Ruben Amorim’s sacking, Scholes said on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast: ‘Not for United.

‘But do you know what? I actually like what he’s doing and think he might have been a better choice for Chelsea than Liam Rosenior.

‘But he’s not right for Manchester United.’

Chelsea drew 1-1 with Manchester City in their first game since Maresca’s exit. U21 coach Calum McFarlane was in charge of the Blues and will be again on Wednesday for the west London derby against Fulham before Rosenior takes over.

‘I am extremely humbled and honoured to be appointed Head Coach of Chelsea Football Club,’ Rosenior said. ‘This is a club with a unique spirit and a proud history of winning trophies.

‘My job is to protect that identity and create a team that reflects these values in every game we play as we continue winning trophies.

‘To be entrusted with this role means the world to me and I want to thank all involved for the opportunity and faith in undertaking this job.

‘I will give everything to bring the success this club deserves. I believe deeply in teamwork, unity, togetherness and working for one another, and those values will be at the heart of everything we do. They will be the foundation of our success.

‘I am excited to work with this extremely talented group of players and staff, to build strong connections on and off the pitch, and to create an environment where everyone feels united and driven by the same goal.

‘There is a real hunger to win, and I will give everything, every single day, to help this team compete and win at the very highest level to make everyone connected and proud to be a part of Chelsea Football Club.

‘I want our fans to be proud of who we are and what we represent in every single game that we play. They are the soul of this enormous, historic and huge football club.

‘I cannot wait to meet you all. I cannot wait to get started.’

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