Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior slammed over ‘stupid’ comment after Newcastle defeat | Football

Liam Rosenior has been told he made himself look ‘stupid’ by saying he would contact PGMOL after referee Paul Tierney was in the centre of Chelsea’s latest ‘ridiculous’ pre-match huddle.

Tierney was bizarrely caught up in Chelsea’s pre-match huddle before Saturday’s Premier League defeat to Newcastle United and was left standing in the middle or the circle.

Chelsea’s inconsistent form continued afterwards as they were beaten 1-0 by Newcastle, with England star Anthony Gordon scoring the only goal.

Rosenior criticised Tierney after the game and confirmed he would be contacting the PGMOL to ‘try to get an understanding of what happened’.

‘I’m respectful to the game,’ the Stamford Bridge boss said. ‘My players made a decision that they wanted to be around the ball, to respect the ball and show unity and leadership.

‘That is not my decision. That is a decision between the leadership group and the team. There is nothing that they’re doing with that huddle that is disrespectful to the opposition.

‘If Paul had focused more on his job, which was to make the right decision, we’d have a penalty today. I don’t think anyone can say that Woltemade doesn’t kick Cole Palmer down in the box.

‘I didn’t speak to Paul today, I didn’t think it was the right thing. But I’ll be speaking to PGMOL. I’ll be speaking to the refs. Just trying to get an understanding of what happened.’

Ex-Chelsea midfielder Craig Burley believes his former club should stop doing the pre-match huddle and says Rosenior made himself look ‘stupid’ after the Newcastle defeat.

He told ESPN: ‘I’m intrigued by this, when Liam Rosenior contacts Howard Webb, what does he expect Webb to do?

‘You’re not going to demote a referee because he was standing in a stupid huddle. How stupid does it make you sound as a coach of a team in the Champions League and spends billions of pounds that you’re biggest concern after the game is the referee getting in the way of your ridiculous huddle.

‘I mean come on… come on! I don’t know what the referee is doing there but Rosenior wants to talk to the PGMOL about this?

‘He should be worried more about his team’s performance, he should be worried about conceding five goals in Paris, he should be worried about their Champions League chances.

‘Huddling around the ball for unity, what is this nonsense? He thinks he knows more than everyone else but he’s overthinking everything.

‘Come on, he’s got more to worry about than reporting the referee.’

Burley also claimed the Chelsea players would be ‘giggling behind Rosenior’s back’ at some of his antics as Stamford Bridge boss.

‘Unless this Chelsea dressing room are soft and weak and will accept anything, they have to be giggling like schoolkids behind this manager’s back,’ he added.

‘We know what goes on, we’ve all been in dressing rooms. These players will be having a field day with the manager.’

Chelsea’s defeat to Newcastle came just a few days after they suffered a painful 5-2 loss to PSG in the Champions League.

Rosenior’s side were level with the Champions League holders until PSG scored three late goals to put one foot in the quarter-finals ahead of the return leg at Stamford Bridge.

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