SOCCER: New Chelsea manager Rosenior looks to hit the ground running

Liam Rosenior knows there is no time to waste as he begins the challenging task of turning Chelsea from Premier League also-rans into title contenders. The Englishman has already told his squad that he wants to hit the ground running.

Rosenior, who replaced Italian Enzo Maresca, officially joined Chelsea on Tuesday from Racing Strasbourg. He is set to take charge of his first game on Saturday when the London club faces Charlton Athletic in the FA Cup.

He was present in the stands on Wednesday as Chelsea fell 2-1 to Fulham, a defeat that left the team in eighth place with just one win in their last nine league matches.

“For this opportunity to come up at this stage of my career is great, but my biggest focus is not about being Chelsea manager—it’s about being a winning Chelsea manager,” Rosenior told Sky Sports ahead of Wednesday’s loss.

“That is the message I shared with the players yesterday when I was fortunate enough to meet them for the first time. We need to hit the ground running for the rest of the season.”

Chelsea face a hectic schedule in January and early February, with 10 games in just 31 days.

When asked if it would be difficult to impose his style with matches coming so quickly, Rosenior said, “No, I think Enzo, the previous manager, did a really, really good job with the team tactically. My approach is not dissimilar.

“There are different characteristics in the way I want to play that will allow me to put my own stamp on the team. People often talk about tactics, systems, and philosophies, but I want to see energy on the pitch. I want a team that is hard to beat, runs for each other, and fights. These are the areas where I can do a lot of work with the lads.”

-Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford/Reuters