Chelsea’s biggest mistake? Blues ‘building a very ugly house’ after surprising sack decision

Maresca ticked two important boxes during his reign in west London, with Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup glory being savoured. He also returned Chelsea to elite continental competition, but was prevented from building upon those foundations.

On New Year’s Day, the Italian tactician - after speaking out against a supposed lack of support from his board - was unceremoniously relieved of his coaching duties by the Blues. Liam Rosenior was subsequently appointed as his successor - with Todd Boehly and Co moving a highly-rated coach over from one of Chelsea’s sister clubs, in the form of Ligue 1 outfit Strasbourg.

Rosenior still has the Blues in the hunt for an FA Cup triumph, ahead of a semi-final showdown with Leeds, but has seen them become stuck in sixth when it comes to Premier League standings - seven points adrift of the Champions League places as the chasing pack bunches up behind them.

Given the progress that Maresca oversaw, and the struggles for consistency that have been endured since, did Chelsea make the wrong choice when it comes to leadership in the dugout?

When that question was put to Parker, the former Blues defender - speaking exclusively to GOAL courtesy of Spreadex Sports - said of where it has gone wrong for Chelsea and why immediate improvement may be difficult to deliver: “They're in a little bit of trouble. Who are they going to get to go there and take the job?

“Whoever goes there, that person knows that people are going to be looking at him and wondering if there's any strings hanging from him. That's what it's going to become. If that's the way you want to be in football, then it's up to you.

“But you look at Maresca, he couldn't do it. He was being told how long to play players and things like that and who he could play and who he couldn't play. He just really wanted to make that decision with his own personal staff who he's worked with for quite a while.

“He wasn't experienced as a manager, but he's been in coaching staffs. He's been around that kind of body for a long, long time - working with Pep [Guardiola], of course, to name but one, so you get a general gist of what's going on.

“But when you've got other people who, when you know that their whole thing about what they're in for is about making money, then that's their way of doing it - not about the team winning games of football.

“It doesn't matter what they do upstairs, what they're talking about, if Chelsea are not winning games of football, they're not making the money that they want to make. So the first priority is get it right on the grass, get a happy ship on the grass and keep everyone happy. And as you start going upwards, then things will change.

“If you look at a house when it starts, it doesn't look that good. But once you set your footings, then you've got an opportunity to adapt to wherever you want to move on. Chelsea haven't done that. They haven't got their footings yet and they're building a very ugly house because on the outside, everyone's looking at it and doesn't want to walk through the front door!”

Chelsea are in danger of seeing a few prominent figures walk out of that door before they can find a way of locking it and delivering a home improvement plan. Rosenior is facing plenty of uncomfortable questions regarding his future after winning only 11 of his 22 games at the helm.

England international Cole Palmer and Argentine World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez are also generating unwelcome transfer talk heading towards the summer window, although both could figure prominently in a midweek clash with Brighton before heading to Wembley for a date with Leeds on Sunday.