Merson: Rosenior Out of Sync With Chelsea Players

Paul Merson, writing for Sky Sports, reviewed Premier League managers feeling the heat, focusing on Liam Rosenior at Chelsea, Tottenham’s struggles and Eddie Howe at Newcastle.

Chelsea — players and manager not aligned

Merson says Rosenior has endured a poor month at Chelsea, pointing to four successive defeats, including a 3-0 loss at Everton. The run leaves the Blues six points off the top four and close behind Liverpool as a chasing pack forms. Merson judged the Everton performance as ugly and suggested it looked like the squad and coach were not on the same wavelength.

He questioned whether Rosenior would even be considered for other high-profile vacancies if they came up, arguing it’s hard to see him being shortlisted for jobs at Liverpool or Newcastle. Merson also noted that fans have applied pressure on Rosenior from the start and implied the board will want to see the team pushing for at least a top-five place to be satisfied with his progress.

Tottenham — slipping into real danger

On Spurs, Merson described a worrying picture. He said Tottenham started matches promisingly but repeatedly fail to turn control into goals, then concede and collapse — a pattern he found alarming. After recent mixed results, including a win over Atletico Madrid and a home draw with Liverpool, Merson warned their form has swung dramatically and made relegation feel more plausible than it once did.

He pointed to a difficult run of fixtures — an away trip to Sunderland, Brighton, and a late-season visit to Chelsea — and said a slide into the bottom three could become realistic before their next away match. Merson underlined how fragile Tottenham’s situation looks and that a poor run could quickly become a crisis.

Newcastle — Howe shouldn’t be under fire

By contrast, Merson defended Eddie Howe at Newcastle. He laughed at the suggestion Howe is under pressure, recalling last season’s trophy success and highlighting squad changes and injuries as mitigating factors. Merson criticised the club’s transfer business, noting the loss of Alexander Isak and signings who, in his view, have not matched that level. He specifically questioned the value and consistency of the Yoane Wissa signing.

Merson also cited injuries and the difficulty of regularly fielding Newcastle’s strong midfield trio — Bruno Guimarães, Joelinton and Sandro Tonali — as reasons the team has struggled at times. Overall, he argued Howe shouldn’t be judged harshly given the circumstances around transfers and availability.

Summary

Merson’s column paints a stark contrast: Chelsea appear out of sync under Rosenior and under mounting pressure from fans and results, Tottenham look alarmingly unstable with relegation a realistic fear, while Howe at Newcastle, despite setbacks, is someone Merson believes has earned more patience from supporters and the board.