Liam Rosenior does not believe the Chelsea squad lacks big-game experience despite its youthful make-up, which our new head coach is hopeful will be key to building a team that is successful in both the short and long term.
Facing the media ahead of his debut in the Chelsea dugout, which comes in this evening’s FA Cup third-round tie away at Charlton Athletic, Rosenior was asked about the youthfulness of the squad he has been working with on the Cobham training pitch over the last two days.
The Blues have the youngest average age of any team in the Premier League this season, but that is a situation Rosenior is used to from his previous role at Strasbourg.
That leaves the 41-year-old perfectly placed to judge the benefits that come from a youthful squad, underlining that it brings plenty of immediate advantages in addition to potential for the future.
‘If you have a young group that believes in what they do, they bring energy, and they're fit, they run, they’re intense, they can maximise sprints, they can be repeatedly intensive in games and play with energy,’ he explained.
‘If you watch the Strasbourg team I coached over the last 18 months, everybody enjoyed watching them play as they played with intensity because they were young and they were fit. I'm going to work really hard to create that here.
‘I have to train the players right. I have to work with the medical team. I have to look after some of these players because they have outstanding careers to come, but it doesn't stop you from being successful now. If I went into this thing thinking it's not possible to win with this group now, I would not have come here.’
Rosenior was also quick to point out that age and experience are not mutually exclusive. Despite their youth, several members of his new squad have more than their fair share of experience when it comes to big matches and high-pressure situations.
He highlighted Blues skipper Reece James and vice-captain Enzo Fernandez as examples of that, while the experience the squad gained as a group in our UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup triumphs in 2025 could also be crucial.
‘You have to understand, the players’ age is one thing, but there's also experience here as well,’ added the new Chelsea head coach. ‘Enzo’s won a World Cup, he’s a leader in the group. Reece has won titles and many things.
‘I've got players here with experience. Their ages may be lower but I've got players who have experienced big things, and this group has experienced winning things together.
‘That's something that I want to use to move forward and create that motivation to win more things in the future.’