Chelsea player had cruel nickname for Liam Rosenior before boss was sacked
Chelsea sacked Liam Rosenior on Wednesday after the Blues' 3-0 defeat by Brighton, with reports of dressing room unrest and players' cutting jibes emerging
A Chelsea player cruelly branded manager Liam Rosenior "the supply teacher" before he was axed on Wednesday, according to new reports. The former Strasbourg boss lost his job at Stamford Bridge following Tuesday's dismal 3-0 drubbing away at Brighton. It marked the Blues' fifth successive Premier League defeat without finding the net and their worst run of top-flight form in 114 years.
Rosenior was shown the door after senior players reacted with fury to his post-match criticism of them. The 41-year-old also failed to command the respect of certain stars within the Chelsea dressing room. BBC Sport claim footage existed of players apparently snubbing Rosenior's inexperienced backroom staff on an almost weekly basis. One such instance included a recent clip showing Wesley Fofana blanking assistant James Walker following Saturday's 1-0 home loss to Manchester United. One player is even said to have coined the nickname "the supply teacher" for him.
It is alleged that Rosenior began to lose his grip on authority as he sought to introduce more of his own ideas. The former right-back had initially relied upon the framework established by predecessor Enzo Maresca during his opening six weeks at the helm, amid limited time on the training pitch.
Key tactical decisions were also reportedly called into question. One source close to Paris Saint-Germain told the BBC they felt Rosenior's approach across the two legs of the tie was too expansive, allowing the French champions to exploit Chelsea in an 8-2 aggregate victory.
However, Rosenior's standing at Stamford Bridge was reportedly not universally perceived as negative.
The majority of players were said to regard the former Derby County and Hull City head coach as a thoroughly decent individual who was, according to one source, more popular among the English members of the squad.
Calum McFarlane will take charge at Chelsea until the end of the season while the club search for a new head coach.
It is understood that the west London outfit will take their time in naming a replacement, with Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola amongst the frontrunners to succeed Rosenior.
Whoever takes the helm may find themselves in charge of a side with no European football next season. The Blues currently sit eighth in the Premier League table and may need to lift this season's FA Cup to secure a place in Europe.
Chelsea face Leeds United in the semi-finals at Wembley Stadium on Sunday (3pm BST).
