'Ridiculous!' - Chelsea made 'massive mistakes' sacking Enzo Maresca with 'something not quite right' under Liam Rosenior, insists Jon Obi Mikel

Maresca’s exit came as a shock to many, following a decorated short stint that saw him deliver silverware and European pedigree back to West London before a breakdown in communication with the club's board led to his dismissal.
The Italian tactician enjoyed a fruitful period at the helm, securing both the Conference League and the Club World Cup, while ensuring the Blues were firmly on track for Champions League qualification. However, a lean spell of just one victory in his final seven Premier League outings provided the catalyst for the board to pull the trigger.

Liam Rosenior was swiftly appointed as his successor, and while the former Strasbourg boss initially oversaw an uptick in results, recent stumbles against Leeds and Burnley have prompted club icons like Mikel to question whether the right path is being followed at the Bridge.

Speaking on the Obi One podcast, Mikel did not hold back in his assessment of the current state of affairs at his former club. The Nigerian, who spent over a decade in West London, expressed his disbelief at the decision to move on from a manager who had modernised the team’s playing style. He suggested that the foundations built under the previous regime have been discarded too hastily, leaving the squad in a state of transition that has hindered their momentum in the race for the top four.

"We had Enzo Maresca. I've said it, I think it was a massive mistake to sack him. I mean, it's ridiculous," Mikel said on the Obi One podcast. "Yeah, a manager that won us the Club World Cup, won us the Conference League, we had some sort of identity the way we played. We took a step forward, and we've gone five steps backwards. Liam has come in, and he's won games, but there is absolutely something that is missing. Something is not quite right.”

The honeymoon period for Rosenior appears to have reached an abrupt end following frustrating results against Burnley and Leeds. Chelsea were held to a 1-1 draw by Burnley, a match that saw Wesley Fofana sent off, and squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Leeds. These dropped points have proved costly in a congested battle for Champions League football, allowing rivals to close the gap and heightening the scrutiny on Rosenior’s tactical approach as the business end of the season approaches.

Despite the criticisms from former players like Mikel, Rosenior has maintained a solid points-per-game record since arriving in London. However, the lack of a clear "identity"—a recurring theme in Mikel’s critique—has left the fanbase uneasy. The former midfielder’s insistence that the club has gone "five steps backwards" reflects a growing concern that the tactical progress made during Maresca's tenure has been sacrificed for short-term pragmatism that is now beginning to fail the eye test.

The pressure on Rosenior is set to intensify as Chelsea prepare for a brutal run of fixtures that could define their season. The Blues are currently fifth in the Premier League table, sitting level on points with sixth-placed Liverpool after their recent draws. With the race for European spots tightening, every point is vital, yet the upcoming schedule offers little respite for a team that Mikel maintains is currently lacking the necessary ingredients for sustained success at the highest level.

Chelsea must navigate away trips to Arsenal and Aston Villa in their next two outings before a daunting sequence of games that includes hosting Newcastle United and Manchester City, punctuated by a trip to Everton. With the Champions League race on a knife-edge and club legends voicing their displeasure publicly, Rosenior faces his biggest challenge yet to prove that the board’s "ridiculous" decision to change managers mid-season was actually the correct one for the club's future.