Chelsea's downfall this season should be reviewed at the highest level as the side which defeated Paris Saint-Germain in the the Club World Cup Final before the start of their 2025/26 Premier League campaign are now going through a identity crisis as we approach the final phases of the season.

Up to November, the Blues were looking like title contenders. It all went downhill after their back-to-back fantastic displays against Barcelona and Arsenal. They defeated Barca by three goals in the Champions  League, followed by a crucial 1-1 draw against the Gunners at home, despite Moises Caicedo being sent off in the 38th minute of the game.

The poor run of games eventually led to the sacking of Enzo Maresca on New Year's Day. The club management decided to bring in Liam Rosenior as their manager until 2032, which, of course, shows the confidence of the BlueCo. in their sister club Strasbourg's former manager. 

The new manager impressed the fans during his first few games as the Blues defeated Charlton by five goals to one in the FA Cup third round encounter. It was also the Englishman's first game in charge of the club.

But right now, as it seems the Blues are back to square one after Maresca left the club, the recent poor display has brought in some well-deserved criticism from fans and experts alike, with former Chelsea defender Frank Lebouf recently criticising the new manager's annoying antics.

Lebouf not only bashed Rosenior but also took a dig at the other so called 'perfectionists' as the Chelsea manager was seen handing a note to Alejandro Garnacho in the 86th minute of the game as his side was already 8-2 down on aggregate.

The former Chelsea man described his feelings on the ESPN FC Show saying (h/t One Football) , "I would’ve gone to the touchline and asked if it was a joke or are you kidding? You think the things I read will be useful right now? It doesn’t mean anything. Maybe he was writing a joke. The funny thing is the guy who received it was looking for another player to give him instructions.

"Maybe the player he was talking about was already substituted we don’t know. Maybe he lost his mind, that was insane. He’s not the only one to do those kinds of things. I don’t know what the new coaches from the new era are trying to show us, we know it’s completely useless."

If one observes closely, there are obviously two sides to the story: the club's failure despite a spending spree during the summer transfer window. Rosenior has only come into the side in mid-season, with Mamadou Sarr being the Blues' only incoming winter transfer, who, of course, has failed to impress the Stamford Bridge faithful till now.

Despite the club being routed by PSG in the Champions League there is still a lot to play for as the Chels take on Port Vale in the FA Cup quarterfinals and could still make it to the UCL next season if they are able to maintain high standards during their eight remaining league games.

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