It was an appointment that felt strange at the time and has transpired to be just that ever since. Rosenior’s sacking feels inevitable, but who can Chelsea turn to next? Express Sport have picked out five names who could be brought in to try and fix the current situation.

A former Chelsea player, but not one that too many people will remember. Felipe Luis spent one season at Stamford Bridge (the 2014/15 league-winning campaign), but since retiring, he’s enjoyed a successful start to management in Brazil. So much so, despite an average of one trophy every 14 games across his spell as Flamengo manager, the Brazilian outfit sacked him for reportedly speaking to Chelsea about the vacant managerial position following Enzo Maresca’s departure.

It’s over two months since Oliver Glanser announced his imminent departure from Crystal Palace, but we’re still none the wiser as to where he’s going next. Chelsea wouldn’t have been on his radar when making that decision, but what if it might be now? The Austrian might be the straight talker the west Londoners need to fix their current plight. It could be tough to prise him away from Palace’s European journey, however.

Another member of Chelsea’s 2014/15 title-winning side, and another to have taken the managerial world by storm. Cesc Fabregas has Como on the brink of European qualification, having excelled with the Serie A side since taking over. The Spaniard has been linked with big jobs across the continent, but what about a return to a place where he’s already loved by the fans? He’d certainly have the supporters onside from the off, which isn’t necessarily something you could’ve said about Rosenior.

At least he wouldn’t have to move far! Marco Silva has done a splendid job at Chelsea’s local rivals, Fulham, but he’s another manager being tipped to make the step up to a ‘bigger’ club in the near future. The Portuguese tactician has certainly shown he’s adept at getting the most out of a squad, so perhaps he’s one to look at.

Third time lucky? Frank Lampard’s managerial stock is perhaps the highest it’s ever been after guiding Coventry City to the Championship title. His first spell at Chelsea ended in a sacking, while he returned for a few matches towards the end of the 2022/23 season on an interim basis. Maybe the stars are aligning for yet another return…

Chelsea’s owners have reportedly called an emergency meeting to discuss Liam Rosenior’s position as manager following a fifth straight Premier League defeat. It’s 114 years since Chelsea last lost five league matches in a row, with suggestions that Rosenior’s position might be under scrutiny starting to grow.

The latest in the growing list of defeats came away to Brighton, where the Blues were put to the sword and shipped three goals without return. It came after losses to both Manchester clubs, Everton, and Newcastle, with Chelsea now looking as if they could miss out on European football altogether.

It’s reported by talkSPORT that the ongoing slump has forced Chelsea’s board into holding an emergency meeting, despite having originally planned to review his position at the end of next season. The bigwigs are said to be discussing a plan of action, and could sanction an exit earlier than initially expected.

Rosenior had boldly stated that the Chelsea board have put their full trust in him as manager, insisting there were no concerns surrounding an untimely sacking. Speaking before the Brighton loss, the ex-Strasbourg manager explained: “100 per cent. They’ve been supportive of me in our daily conversations. We are aligned, knowing we need to win games of football now.”

However, given they’ve stooped to even further lows in the Premier League, the board could be forced into a swift U-turn on the sack decision. Next on the agenda for Chelsea is an FA Cup semi-final against Leeds United at Wembley, with the winner set to place either Manchester City or Southampton in the final.

Rosenior cut a much more downbeat figure following the 3-0 thumping away to Brighton, with the English coach admitting he was ‘numbed’ by the result. He remarked: “I have my own ideas. I am not here to make excuses. That was unacceptable from everyone involved with me at the head of it. That needs to change.

“It is accountability. I have defended the players at times when it was the correct thing, but I can’t defend that performance. It doesn’t represent this football club, it doesn’t represent anything I ask from the group, and that has to change. I feel numb, I’m so angry. I always speak on what I see and that was unacceptable. The goals we conceded were unacceptable, and that is something I have to hold my hands up to.”

Before concluding: “I will look at the team, will look at individuals, and I will look at a team I can trust to do the basics of football, and we should not be talking about the basics of football at this level. It is something we have to adjust very quickly.”