Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior shrugged off the mockery he receives online and admitted even members of his own squad are in on the joke.
The former Strasbourg boss has been the target of jibes on social media after failing to control a high ball as it dropped to him on the touchline during Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
– Enzo: Rosenior gives Chelsea attack more freedom
– Arteta apologises to Rosenior after ‘disrespect’
– Each Premier League team reranked
The moment came late in the second half as Chelsea chased the goal that would have sent the semifinal second leg to extra time, and drew jeers from home supporters inside the ground which have been amplified online — and, it seems, around the training ground.
“A few of the lads have played it back to me,” he said. “We’ve had a laugh about it. Estêvão said he can’t believe I was a professional footballer.
“This is a great job. I love this job. I am serious, I’m serious in many aspects. I’m demanding, but life is too short. You have to enjoy life, you have to be able to laugh at yourself.
“At the moment a lot of people in this country have been laughing at me.”
Chelsea suffered a setback on transfer deadline day when they lost out to Liverpool in the race to sign Rennes defender Jérémy Jacquet.
There was however better news for Rosenior with the return from loan of his captain at Strasbourg, Mamadou Sarr, a versatile defender who in January helped Senegal win the Africa Cup of Nations.
“Everybody knows what I think about Mamadou,” said Rosenior. “I think he’s got the potential to be a world-class centre-back.
“I thank the sporting directors and the ownership for supporting what I thought was right for us and for his career.
“I see a growth in Mamadou. I see a growth in his performance in the AFCON final, I see a growth in his physicality and in his tactical understanding. Also it was an area of the pitch where I felt we could strengthen.
“They’re all the things I took into account. He will get his opportunity but he knows he will have to fight for it because we’ve got many outstanding centre-backs in our group.”
