At the start of 2026, Liam Rosenior would arrive at Chelsea with a promising reputation earned during his time at their sister club RC Strasbourg Alsace. Three months later, he would leave London with his tail between his legs and his stock in England at an all-time low. In truth, he was on a hiding to nothing the moment he took the job and replaced Enzo Maresca. For Chelsea supporters, particularly those who have never bought into the BlueCo project, Rosenior was considered little more than a yes-man for unpopular owners. 

Rosenior didn’t exactly endear himself, as The Athletic reported there were reservations within the squad about his communication. Comparisons with characters from English TV shows quickly began to appear online, with Rosenior emulating Will from The Inbetweeners and David Brent from The Office. One moment – albeit one that came during his time at Strasbourg – particularly stood out when he philosophised on the etymology of the word manage: “In English, the word manage –  if you split the two words, it’s man age – you’re ageing men.”

This on its own wouldn’t have been enough; Mikel Arteta has had some choice moments during his time in charge of Arsenal, such as when he brought in pickpockets to steal from his squad at a team dinner to drive home a point on always remaining alert. However, the key difference between the two ‘agers of men’ was that Arteta was winning games, while Rosenior would be sacked after a five-game losing streak in the league (wherein his side went goalless). 

A fresh start for Liam Rosenior

In the summer, Rosenior was given the chance to return to a country that had proven to be far more receptive to his ideas by becoming the figurehead of the Paris FC project. It was perhaps a dream job for a head coach on the rebound. Paris are one of the few clubs in Ligue 1 that can buck the league-wide trend of needing to sell before they can buy due to being backed by the billions of the Arnault family. 

While other teams have to tear down and rebuild, Paris, in their second consecutive season in the top flight, could consolidate and grow. And how they have grown. Deadwood, especially in attack, was stripped from the club with the misfiring Willem Geubbels sold to US Lecce, while the immobile Ciro Immobile retired in the summer. In their place, some of Ligue 1’s more exciting talent in Lassine Sinayoko and Pablo Pagis have come in and have made Paris one of the more electrifying teams in attack. 

However, as pointed out by the excellent Paris FC English Substack, what has been all the more impressive has been the way Rosenior has raised the levels of the players already present at the club. In defence, it’s the same faces as last season (with Diego Coppola’s loan made permanent), but they are looking far more solid. Before Sunday’s 4-3 win over Stade Rennais, Paris had the best defence in the league. And in truth, they should have maintained that record as Rennes created little to nothing from open play, scoring all three goals from individual mistakes causing avoidable penalties. 

Paris FC at the top

The victory put Paris joint top of the table alongside Paris Saint-Germain, Lille OSC, AS Monaco, and later Olympique Lyonnais, and laid down a marker. Paris have made no secret of their ambition to become a regular fixture in European qualification. In dispatching Rennes, a team that they hope will become one of their European rivals, they’ve shown that their dream could soon become a reality. 

Rosenior returned to France with a point to prove and a reputation to restore; becoming the man to lead Paris on their journey to glory would go a long way to addressing both. The season is, of course, long and full of twists and turns, but the early signs have been very promising and suggest that Les Parisiens have a manager to match their ambitions. 

This week’s Ligue 1 subplots

• Esteban Lepaul would take pole position in the race for the golden boot in France, following his hat-trick of penalties against Paris. However, the France international would limp off at the end of the game. He now looks set to miss Rennes’ clash with Juventus. Read the full story HERE.

• Olympique de Marseille would make it two consecutive wins in Ligue 1 by dispatching Angers SCO in a 5-2 win. The club started the September international break in the relegation zone, but now sit 9th. Read how it happened HERE.

• Luis Enrique dismissed Maresca’s criticism of the quality of Ligue 1 following PSG’s win over Manchester City. The PSG boss fired back, calling it the “typical noise” surrounding his club. Read the full quotes HERE.