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Ugly full time scenes with Chelsea players and Liam Rosenior booed after defeat to Brighton

There were ugly scenes at full time with Chelsea players and Liam Rosenior booed after a 3-0 defeat to Brighton on Tuesday night.

The result meant it was five straight defeats in the Premier League without scoring a goal for Chelsea, their longest run since 1912.

The remain 7th in the table, with 48 points from 34 games played, their European hopes quickly fading the way it’s going, and the fans are certainly making their feelings known, a toxic away end.

Liam Rosenior furious with his players, describing the performance as ‘indefensible, as well as ‘unacceptable’, questioning Chelsea’ desire.

Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior said, as per BBC Sports’ live blog: “Nowhere near the levels, not even tactical, tackles, duels, intensity, spirit, energy, passion all lacking and that is the reason we lost.”

Why did this happen? “I have my own ideas, I am not here to make excuses. that was unacceptable from everyone involved with me at the head of it. That needs to change.

“It is accountability. I have defended the players at times when it was the correct thing but I can’t defend that performance. It doesn’t represent this football club, it doesn’t represent anything I ask from the group and that has to change.

“I feel numb I’m so angry. I always speak on what I see and that was unacceptable. The goals we conceded were unacceptable and that is something I have to hold my hands up to.

“I will look at the team, will look at individuals and I will look at a team I can trust to do the basics of football and we should not be talking about the basics of football at this level. It is something we have to adjust very quickly.

“Tonight was not [about] tactical. This was about desire, spirit, courage and I did not see enough of that tonight.

“Nowhere near good enough and we have to improve that.”

Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah spoke to Sky Sports, responding after being asked if the defeat against Brighton felt like a big step back:

“Yeah, it did. We gave it our all. Just not the best side.”

On why the opening 20 minutes were so difficult:

“I don’t know. We obviously had a gameplan. We tried to execute it.”

On whether it the gameplan or the execution was the issue:

“We tried our best. We worked on it throughout the week. Obviously we got beat today. We’ve just got to go again. We can’t dwell on these moments, we’ve got to look forward to the next game.”

On Chelsea supporters’ frustrations:

“We can be accountable. As players we have to be accountable for the performance. We know how much the fans have been behind us and we know they are disappointed with the results, not winning at the moment. We just have to stick together and pull through.”

On whether Brighton were more on it:

“I thought personally that the boys were running their socks off. Everyone in the changing room is tired. It’s nothing to do with effort. We gave it our all, we just got beat today.”

On statistics showing that Brighton ran more and if his team could’ve given more:

“We ran today. You can say the stats this the stats that, but I can see the boys are tired, and we ran, so I don’t know.”

On whether there is pressure on the FA Cup semi-final:

“We just have to pick ourselves up. We’ve got a semi-final to come. It’s a massive game at Wembley. Us being at another semi-final, we’ve got to use that as a positive and try to approach the game with a strong mentality, try to pick ourselves up from this defeat and stay positive.”

On whether positivity can be found in the dressing room:

“We have to stay positive. Negativity is not going to help. Us being negative, us dwelling on the past is not going to help the situation so we have to. No matter what happens in life you have to keep going forward and pick ourselves up.”

Rosenior, asked by Sky Sports if defeat to Brighton was their worst performance: “By far. It was unacceptable in every aspect of the game, unacceptable in our attitude. I keep coming out and defending of the players. That’s indefensible, that performance tonight. The manner of the goals we conceded, the amount of duels that we lost, the lack of intensity in the team. Something needs to change drastically right now.

On why the performance was so bad: “We need to look in the mirror. I need to look in the mirror. But I can’t keep coming out here and defending some of the things we’re seeing. Manchester United, genuinely the result wasn’t there, I felt we turned a corner. The general attitude, spirit, determination was lacking a part from maybe three or four of the eleven. That is nowhere near enough for this club. I can’t come out and lie. I’ll tell the truth. That was an unacceptable performance in every area.”

On the difficult early stages of the game: “The goal’s terrible, we have an easy header, we miss the header. The passage before the goal upset me even more. I think there were four or five occasions where we can actually show some courage and quality, and take the ball down and actually play. We just kicked the ball back to Brighton. You can speak about a lack of confidence or results not going our way, that doesn’t represent anything that I ever want to see. And I won’t ever see it again.”

On whether it represents a lack of professionalism: “The professionalism wasn’t there. It’s a really difficult night. The most difficult night not even just here, so far, at this magnificent football club, but in my career. Some of the things I witnessed today, I never want to see again.”

Rosenior to Sky Sports on the lack of improvement and if his players threw the towel in: “You have to ask the players. Whether you’re playing at this elite football club or any football club, to even be accused of throwing the towel in is unacceptable. That’s all I’m going to say. I’m hurting. I feel numb because that doesn’t represent me or the football club in any way. It has to change, starting with the FA Cup this Sunday.”

On whether Chelsea’s consistently inferior running statistics indicate a deeper problem: “I don’t want to go into that right now. I have my own thoughts, my own feelings. I have discussed in depth about how this club… regardless of who’s the manager, what needs to happen at this football club for this club to be where it needs to be. It’s not about me, it’s about this football club. Chelsea represents fight and spirit, determination. And that was lacking in every department this evening.”

On whether there are issues with the structure of his squad: “We’ve had injuries. It’s not an excuse, it’s a reality. That team we put out today was far better, in terms of this engagement to the game. For me, I will pick a team on Sunday that represent the club in the correct manner.”

On whether FA Cup semi-final against Leeds now defines their season: “This was a huge game and we didn’t hit the mark anywhere near. Any game between now and the end of the season is a huge game and it needs to look like that in the way that we play.”

On what needs to happen between now and Sunday, given that his team look ‘bereft’: “That’s your opinion. I have to sit with the staff. And we have to make sure we get it right for Sunday.”

Here’s how fans reacted following ugly full time scenes with Chelsea players and Liam Rosenior booed after defeat to Brighton…

@ChrisCFC1990: Enzo’s reaction is so powerful. That wasn’t a man who doesn’t care, that was a man who felt ashamed to be part of whatever you want to call this. He cares and this showed he does give a s**t about what us fans are going through. This clip only confirmed this is the lowest point i have ever seen Chelsea Football Club. Heartbreaking 💔😔.

@SW6Steve: Respect to the lad at front holding up the BLUECO OUT banner at full time right in FRONT of the pathetic players faces, a mate said it was Glen so respect to you mate

@geoffwhitingba1: The board appointed a totally inept manager. A record breaking one…the first time Chelsea have lost five league games without scoring a goal since the year the Titanic went down (in 1912). They are utterly useless and he has zero chance of turning it around. We’ve all had enough

@tradu81: I can imagine how difficult it would be to stand there, being booed. Fully deserved. They need to look at themselves. If its not working, adjust, adapt, they dont have to follow every instruction the manager gives them, especially if its not working. I will credit them for having the balls and respect to stand there.

@TheExiledRobin: Why are they all standing there just staring up? Just trying to be longest there & pretend they care the most? Just give a quick clap, quick wave of apology and then go back to the dressing room. Pandering for social media videos when they should care more about the performance

@AndrewVernon4: Why do players do this? It is nonsense. Back in the day the players get off the pitch when the whistle went. Then the away team clapped the away fans for making the trip. Now they go towards the fans and stare at them. What are trying to do? It’s performative bollocks.

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