Ruben Amorim and Liam Rosenior have similar stories when it comes to managerial backing. In the 148 years of Manchester United’s existence, Ruben Amorim became the first coach to be hired as a head coach and not as a traditional manager.
In October 2025, Sir Jim Ratcliffe stated in an interview that Amorim would need three years to be properly judged. However, by January 2026, Amorim was sacked.
After the heavy defeats Chelsea suffered against PSG, both home and away, Chelsea owners came out to say they do not plan to formally review Liam Rosenior’s performance until the summer of 2027, nor do they intend to make a change at the end of the 2025/26 season.
Chelsea fans are not happy with this position from the owners. Softfootball believes this situation is similar to what happened with Amorim. Sometimes, club owners publicly back a manager to reduce media pressure and allow the manager to continue working, even if a decision might already be forming behind the scenes.
At the moment, Liam Rosenior is the first manager in Chelsea’s history to be given a short-term six-month contract, something that did not happen with previous managers like José Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, or Antonio Conte.
This shows that things can still change. Club owners may appear to fully support a manager, but at the same time, they are monitoring results closely. Backing a manager during poor performance can sometimes be a psychological approach to see if the best can still come out of a difficult situation.
