Fulham 2-1 Chelsea: New boss Liam Rosenior watches bratty Blues pick up seventh red card of the season as indiscipline costs them yet again

Welcome to Chelsea, Liam Rosenior, and here, just for you, a special preview from the Brat Pack you must now try to turn into something resembling a sensible side.

It was in the 22nd minute when Rosenior, watching from Craven Cottage’s swish seats next to co-owner Behdad Eghbali, witnessed Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno launch the ball long, Harry Wilson sprint on to it, and, clear as day, Marc Cucurella drag him down as the last man.

Cucurella represented Chelsea’s seventh red card of the season in all competitions – each one shown to a different player – and it would be eight if we included former head coach, Enzo Maresca. The next nearest Premier League team is Tottenham Hotspur with three.

Now, Cucurella was rash, but this is football, defenders make daft decisions out of desperation. Really, what happened next should worry Rosenior as much, if not more.

Three Chelsea players – yes, three – were booked for protesting Cucurella’s dismissal.

Marc Cucurella was sent off for the visitors after bringing down Harry Wilson 

The bratty behaviour of other players after the red card led to more cautions from the referee

Enzo Fernandez was the first one to indulge in bratty behaviour. He was wearing the captain’s armband but our referee, Peter Bankes, clearly believed he took his bleating too far. Then followed Tosin Adarabioyo, and finally Cole Palmer, completing the dissent hat-trick in a matter of seconds.

What made those cautions stranger was that Chelsea’s complaints carried no merit. Cucurella denied an obvious goalscoring opportunity. He had to go, and he did, but his team-mates did not need to join him in Bankes’ book. 

‘We don’t want that to happen,’ said caretaker Calum McFarlane, the Chelsea Under-21s head coach who was also cautioned himself towards the end of this loss for complaining. ‘I would argue they showed discipline to not get another yellow card in a tough game with 10 men, so you can look at it either way.’

That was a desperate attempt at finding a positive if ever there was one.

Cucurella’s dismissal was annoying for Chelsea because, up until then, they had been the better team. Rosenior did not have any say on tactical matters here. He left this trip to McFarlane, filling in for one last outing before going back to managing the Under-21s.

In contrast to life under Maresca, neither Chelsea full-back was inverting into midfield. Malo Gusto and Cucurella were playing much more traditionally. Gusto in particular was flying down his flank to overlap Palmer, who was being used on the right wing here.

Wilson scored the winner 10 minutes from time to secure victory in the west London derby 

But once they had gone down to 10 men, Fulham seized the initiative, taking the lead in the 55th minute. Trevoh Chalobah was supposed to be marking Raul Jimenez but Chelsea’s centre back lost his man as he headed home for 1-0.

Rosenior will have been buoyed by the response, at least. They may have been a man shy, and the away end was singing a new song aimed at their ownership on repeat which went: ‘We don’t care about Clearlake, they don’t care us, all we care about is Chelsea FC.’

But Rosenior’s new side did not stop. In the 72nd minute, Pedro Neto took a corner, Fulham’s Antonee Robinson flicked it on accidentally, the ball struck the woodwork, and Liam Delap tapped in the rebound. They were level for less than 10 minutes, however.

Fulham retook the lead through Wilson. Since the start of November, only Erling Haaland has more Premier League goal involvements than him. A fine finish this was, too, into the corner and beyond the reach of Robert Sanchez.

There was an awkward moment at McFarlane’s post-match press conference when he asked us if we could tell him how his Under-21s got on. They were playing Benfica. ‘I would love to know the score,’ he said. Unfortunately for McFarlane, his youngsters also lost – 6-2 at home.

Whoever they are owned by, there are no guarantees for head coaches at Chelsea. Maresca departed after winning two trophies in his previous season, and he is in good company in that regard. Jose Mourinho was sacked – twice – after picking up two pieces of silverware the campaign before. As was Carlo Ancelotti, and Roberto Di Matteo. No pressure, then, Rosenior.

If the 41-year-old Englishman is to take Chelsea to the next level, then he could do with his players limiting their pitiful foolishness on the pitch. Not for the first time, it cost them here.