‘You have to be able to laugh at yourself’: Rosenior shrugs off online mockery

Liam Rosenior says life is too short to worry about people laughing at him. The 41-year-old has quickly become a figure of fun since his appointment as Chelsea’s head coach and was ridiculed after miscontrolling a dropping ball during his side’s defeat at Arsenal on Tuesday.

It was the latest example of Rosenior facing online mockery because of his quotes and mannerisms. He has been referred to as “LinkedIn Liam” because of some of his comments in press conferences and compared to David Brent. One meme had him mocked up as Will McKenzie, the nerdy lead character from The Inbetweeners.

Rosenior is aware of the jokes at his expense but has made clear he does not take himself too seriously. He is not on social media so may not have seen another Premier League club poking fun at his clumsy attempt to trap a ball during Chelsea’s Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal. Asked whether he had been working on his touch before Saturday’s trip to Wolves, though, Rosenior was self-deprecating enough to reveal he has come in for stick from Chelsea’s 18-year-old Brazilian winger, Estêvão Willian.

“The lads have played it back to me on the video and we’ve had a laugh about it,” he said. “Estêvão said he can’t believe that I was a professional footballer. This is a great job – I love this job. I am serious in many aspects and demanding in many aspects. 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.”

Rosenior, who has six wins from his first eight games, has placed a big emphasis on creating the right culture at Chelsea. His players are holding pre-match huddles in the centre circle. The influence of Willie Isa, Chelsea’s player support and development officer, is felt.

“That’s a group thing,” Rosenior said. “Willie is a top guy. He comes from New Zealand, where the culture of togetherness and spirit is crucial. He’s spoken with the leadership group about different things we do. There are many, many things that aren’t seen, and that’s one of the many things that has been seen. For me, everything is psychological, everything starts with the mind. If your mind is in a good place, the rest takes care of itself.”

Rosenior defended Alejandro Garnacho, who was taken off at half-time during last week’s 3-2 win over West Ham. He denied that Garnacho, who has one league goal since joining from Manchester United last summer, lacks the confidence to take on full-backs. He said that “ceiling is limitless in life” when asked how far the winger could go in his career.