New Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior has explained his bold tactical gamble that contributed to a thrilling 3-2 comeback victory against Napoli in the UEFA Champions League. Taking charge amid a packed schedule, Rosenior opted for an aggressive "man-for-man" pressing system, a significant shift from his predecessor's setup.
“I wanted to go man-for-man all over the pitch. We knew we needed to win the game. I wanted to be really aggressive,” Rosenior explained in his post-match press conference. He acknowledged the initial plan required adjustments after Napoli adapted. “When they started to miss our press out... the distances were a little bit bigger. We corrected that in the second half.”
The first half saw Chelsea, deployed in an unfamiliar three-man defense, fortunate to be down only 2-1 after being repeatedly exposed. Rosenior credited the players' resilience and his own in-game management for the turnaround. “I’m so proud of [the players], even in the first half, I’m asking them to press in a completely different way that they’ve never done before.”
The coach highlighted the team's mentality as the most pleasing aspect. “[There were] so many pleasing individual performances but I think the most pleasing aspect was the collective mentality of the group to have a positive reaction to a difficult first half.”
Goals from João Pedro sealed the victory, providing a vital platform for the striker to shine. Rosenior's ability to identify his initial tactical error and correct it mid-game marks a positive early sign for his Chelsea tenure, which continues with a crucial Premier League clash against West Ham.
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