Less than two years after being sacked by Hull City, Liam Rogniol has been appointed Chelsea manager.
After leaving Hull City, Ronnie Orr spent 18 months at Chelsea’s sister club Strasbourg and is regarded as one of the brightest young coaches in Europe.
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The 41-year-old has been described as an “innovator” and someone who “reaches right to the top”, impressing Chelsea hierarchy whose working structure is the very one that caused friction between them and his predecessor Enzo Maresca.
But why did they opt for another relatively inexperienced manager, and is Ronnie Orr ready for the Premier League?
The “most seamless” option
Chelsea are under pressure to get the appointment right, with some supporters chanting the name of former boss Roman Abramovich during Sunday’s draw with Manchester City, while a group of fringe fans plan to protest against the boss ahead of their next Premier League game at home to Brentford.
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It is against this backdrop that they turn to a man well known to key figures at Stamford Bridge.
Ronnie Orr first met Chelsea’s joint sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart 15 years ago when he was still at Brighton.
Chelsea’s director of global recruitment, Sam Jewell, worked closely with Ronnie Orr when he took charge of Brighton’s Under-23s following his retirement.
Ronnie Orr also knew Stewart from his days as an analyst at Hull City, where he played and later coached.
Last summer, he traveled to the United States with Strasbourg president Mark Keller to meet Chelsea’s leadership during the Club World Cup, with owners Bedard Egbaly and Todd Boly also visiting the French club regularly.
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He had been viewed as a potential successor to Maresca, but a mid-season change was not planned. Chelsea hoped that Ronnie Orr could continue to gain experience at Strasbourg, but Maresca’s comments late last year forced the boss to make a change.
They view the newcomer, who prefers a similar ball-handling style, as the most seamless option.
Sources close to Ronnie Orr also believe he has a more empathetic tone in his communications – a lesson learned from his mother Karen, a social worker.
He will face scrutiny for his rudeness but Chelsea will point out that he has more experience than Maresca when the Italian is appointed in 2024.
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Of course, Maresca has already won the Championship, while Rossignol is yet to lift the trophy – but the incoming manager has already managed 153 senior games at Hull and Strasbourg, compared to just 67 for his predecessor. Maresca was also Guardiola’s assistant during City’s 2022-23 Treble-winning season.
Another problem is that Rosenho has been in poor form since arriving at Chelsea. He has not won one of the past five Ligue 1 games, only won two of ten games, and has dropped 13 points from the winning position this season.
France football expert Julien Laurens told BBC Radio 5 Live: “I really believe the boss gave him the Strasbourg job to prepare him for a job at Chelsea one day.
“I think if he can show what he can do in Strasbourg, Strasbourg will take a team that is almost in Europe and get close to qualifying for the Champions League, like he did last season.
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“I think it shows his potential. It shows his development, his ability to improve the team and the individual players.”
Why would Ronnie Orr be any different?
Maresca has picked the youngest starting XI in the Premier League so far this season – with an average age of 24 years and 198 days. His last game in charge featured his youngest squad of the season, with an average age of 23 years and 157 days.
His desire for the club to sign some more experienced players is thought to have caused some dissatisfaction, leading to his departure.
But the Blues believe history is unlikely to repeat itself for Ronior, who led the youngest team in Europe’s top five leagues at Strasbourg – with an average age of just 21.47.
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They believe he understands the brief, which places a heavy emphasis on improving young players – whether that’s selling on, or taking the club to the next level.
Ronniol’s success at Strasbourg has seen him develop striker Emmanuel Emerga to a level that means he will join Chelsea next season.
Furthermore, he guided his young side to a seventh-place finish last season, winning a Europa League spot and equaling a position they have only achieved twice since 1981. In his first season, they came close to qualifying for the Champions League.
Inevitably there will be accusations that Chelsea were a “yes man” when they brought in Ronnie Orr.
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Former Blues winger Pat Nevin told BBC Sport ahead of the appointment that he thought the club would “bring in someone who is young and easy to manipulate”.
“Chelsea need someone who is willing to accept this approach,” he said. “Another way of putting it is, you need a puppet. Someone who does exactly what they’re told.”
Of course, Chelsea will say that Ronnie Orr is not a figurehead, they have simply hired an outstanding candidate who can take the club forward.
“Passionate and not afraid to make big decisions”
Ronnie Orr has earned a reputation as a rising star in the coaching world.
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Strasburg Chairman Mark Keller called him an “innovator,” praising his ability to understand their vision and implement it immediately.
Meanwhile, defender Ben Chilwell said Ronnie Orr will go “straight to the top”, adding: “He’s the reason I joined the club.”
After watching Ronnie Orr’s practical training sessions in Strasbourg, former Manchester United defender Phil Jones told Football Focus: “I was really impressed with the way he talked to the players, the way he met and the way he looked at the game.
“He’s passionate and not afraid to make big decisions.
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“They went to Paris Saint-Germain, had a one-on-one confrontation on the pitch and got the result – a 3-3 draw at the Parc des Princes. Chelsea fans might have wanted a sexier name but he did a great job and it was an opportunity that couldn’t be turned down.”
Former England striker Wayne Rooney has appointed Ronnie Orr as assistant manager at Derby County, describing him as “the best manager I’ve ever worked with”.
Chelsea’s first black British manager
Before becoming a manager, Ronnie Orr played in the Premier League and English Football League – just like his father Leroy.
Both Ronio’s trials at Chelsea failed, but Wandsworth-born Liam has now signed up to become the first black British manager at a club plagued by racist incidents until the late 1990s.
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“Liam Rognoll is a good coach and he knows the game inside out and that’s the most important thing,” Paul Canover told BBC Sport.
“But, as Chelsea’s first black player, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t moved by this moment.
“This is an important moment for the club, for London, for every youngster with big dreams. But now? Let’s support Liam, give him what he needs and let him do his job.”
