How Liam Rosenior 'showed angry side' as Chelsea manager blasts squad over dropped points after Burnley draw

Chelsea threw away a two-goal lead at home to Leeds on February 10, before then being pegged back at Stamford Bridge by Burnley in the 93rd minute of a game that saw the hosts finish with 10 men.

The Whites and the Clarets were both promoted back into the English top-flight last season and boast limited Premier League experience within their respective ranks. Chelsea, in contrast, have a number of players that are tried and tested at the very highest level.

They have, however, displayed an alarming lack of control across recent outings. Rosenior said in the wake of a disappointing 1-1 draw with Burnley: “What has happened with me is we have set fire to four points from two home games, which anyone watching the game, it's not good enough for a club of this level.

“It's not good enough for me to come and say we were the better team. We need to be the better team in every game. We need to win games of football. And I know what the answer is, and we will address it in the week. There's an inquest after every game, whether we win or lose. But I'm learning about the players.”

He went on to say: “There was a player who…I'm not here to throw players under the bus, I will always protect my players, but I will deal with it in the week. There was a player we assigned that duty who marked the wrong player.”

Having vowed to address issues with those in his camp, the Daily Mail reports that Rosenior’s “angry” side has come out and he “did not react kindly” to seeing individual players fail to deliver on the collective tactical plans that were put in place.

With Chelsea nursing self-inflicted wounds, it is said that Rosenior has “held team meetings over the last two weeks in which the focus has been on how and why this has become a theme of their season”.

The Blues have dropped 19 Premier League points from winning positions this season, with 17 of those slipping through their grasp on home soil. Rosenior is frustrated “at how they have been undoing their otherwise good work in games”.

The average age of Chelsea’s starting XI is among the lowest in the Premier League, but that is not being used as an excuse in west London. They have invested heavily in players that are capable of making a telling contribution in the present and long-term future.

The Mail claims there will be “no player backlash to any anger shown by Rosenior, nor him publicly saying they ‘set fire’ to four points, as the team share the same frustration at seeing those victories slip away”.

There is recognition in the Chelsea camp that they are in danger of letting Champions League qualification slip away, which would leave them “facing a challenging summer when it comes to convincing targets to choose their project over others”. 

The Blues have been linked with the likes of Aston Villa playmaker Morgan Rogers, Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson and Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton. They face competition for all of those supposed targets and need elite European competition to use as a bargaining chip.

Chelsea, who have failed to keep a clean sheet across their last five Premier League fixtures, sit fifth in the table - three points adrift of Manchester United and level with reigning champions Liverpool.

The Blues, with Rosenior demanding a response to recent setbacks, will be back in action on Sunday when taking in a testing trip to Emirates Stadium for a meeting with league leaders Arsenal.