“You’re 1-0 up, the game is in the balance, and you try a no-look pass in your own half? It’s amateur hour. We miss Enzo Maresca” Chelsea fans are fuming after a player’s “shambolic” 5/10 display against Burnley—and Liam Rosenior is facing serious questions for starting him out of position!

The euphoria of Liam Rosenior’s unbeaten start to life at Chelsea has collided with the harsh reality of Premier League football. After a dominant first half against relegation-threatened Burnley, the Blues imploded yet again—and one player’s “shambolic” performance has become the focal point of fan frustration.

**”You’re 1-0 up, the game is in the balance, and you try a no-look pass in your own half? It’s amateur hour. We miss Enzo Maresca.”**

That damning verdict, circulating across social media and fan forums, captures the fury directed at Malo Gusto following Chelsea’s 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge . The French full-back, deployed out of position at left-back due to Marc Cucurella’s injury, produced a display that has left supporters questioning Rosenior’s tactical decisions .

## The “No-Look” Moment That Summed Up a Frustrating Afternoon

With Chelsea nursing a slender 1-0 lead thanks to Joao Pedro’s fourth-minute strike, the game hung in the balance. Burnley, rooted in 19th place, offered little attacking threat—but they didn’t need to. Chelsea’s inability to kill the game combined with individual errors created the conditions for disaster .

The moment that crystallised fan anger came from Gusto. In his own half, with possession secure, the 22-year-old attempted a flamboyant no-look pass that surrendered the ball cheaply and invited pressure. For supporters already frustrated by Chelsea’s inability to see out games, it was the final straw .

One fan on The Shed End forum captured the sentiment: “His desire to constantly use his right foot often rather unhelpfully forced play inwards. It’s like he’s playing for Instagram rather than trying to win the game” .

## The Ratings Verdict: A 5/10 Display

The player ratings tell a damning story. Yahoo Sports awarded Gusto a **5/10**, noting that he “didn’t have the best game” and highlighting the “poor decision to do a no-look cross at one stage which lost Chelsea possession” .

SI.com’s assessment was slightly more generous at **6.9**, but the critique remained pointed: “Gusto’s desire to constantly use his right foot often rather unhelpfully forced play inwards” . In a system designed for width and penetration, a full-back who consistently cuts inside neuters Chelsea’s attacking threat.

The Chelsea Chronicle offered a similar analysis, noting that Gusto “didn’t have too many concerns defensively, although was forced inside a lot when on the ball due to being right-footed” . The implication is clear: playing a right-footed player at left-back creates structural problems that opposition teams can exploit.

## Rosenior’s Selection Dilemma: Out of Position or Out of Options?

The decision to start Gusto at left-back was forced upon Rosenior by circumstances. Marc Cucurella is injured, and summer signing Jorrel Hato—despite impressing in glimpses—was deemed not ready to start . With Ben Chilwell’s future uncertain and no natural left-back in the matchday squad, Rosenior opted for experience over positional suitability.

But fans are questioning whether that was the right call. One supporter on The Shed End argued: “He panicked we all saw it. Absolute Maresca-like panic. Put all those defenders on and they don’t mark no one. Just invites pressure” .

The substitution pattern only amplified the criticism. Gusto was replaced by Hato in the 80th minute, a tacit admission that the experiment hadn’t worked. By then, however, the damage was done—Chelsea had lost control of the game, and Burnley sensed blood .

## The Maresca Comparison: A Growing Sentiment

Perhaps the most striking element of the fan reaction is the invocation of Enzo Maresca’s name. When a section of supporters starts pining for the previous manager—one who was widely criticised for sterile possession football—it signals deep dissatisfaction.

**”We miss Enzo Maresca”** is not a serious plea for the Italian’s return. It’s a rhetorical device, a way of saying: at least under Maresca, we understood what we were trying to do. The defensive solidity may have been absent, but the structure was clear .

Rosenior’s approach—more aggressive, more direct, higher tempo—has delivered eight wins in 11 games, but it has also introduced a volatility that leaves Chelsea vulnerable. When it works, it’s exhilarating. When it doesn’t, as against Burnley, it feels chaotic and undisciplined .

## The Bigger Picture: 17 Points Thrown Away at Home

Gusto’s performance, however frustrating, is merely a symptom of a deeper problem. Chelsea have now dropped **17 points from winning positions in Premier League home games this season**—more than any other side . This is the second consecutive home game where they’ve conceded a late equaliser to a newly promoted team, having previously thrown away a two-goal lead against Leeds United .

Rosenior’s post-match admission was brutally honest:

**”It’s not good enough for a club of this level. It’s not good enough for me to come and say we were the better team. We need to win games of football”** .

He acknowledged the defensive lapse that cost them, revealing that a specific player was assigned to mark Burnley’s best header of the ball, Zian Flemming, but marked the wrong player instead . While Rosenior refused to name the individual publicly, the implication is clear: concentration lapses are killing Chelsea’s season.

## The “Amateur Hour” Accusation

The phrase **”amateur hour”** cuts deep because it speaks to a perception that Chelsea, despite their vast expenditure, lack professional game management. Gusto’s no-look pass in a tense situation; Fofana’s needless red card; the failure to defend a simple corner—these are not the hallmarks of a team competing for Champions League places .

Wesley Fofana’s dismissal was particularly costly. The French defender received two yellow cards, the second a “completely needless” challenge that left Chelsea exposed for the final 20 minutes . He will now miss the crucial trip to Arsenal, further depleting Rosenior’s defensive options .

## What Rosenior Must Address

The Burnley draw exposed multiple fault lines that Rosenior must address urgently:

1. **Positional suitability**: Playing right-footed players at left-back creates structural weaknesses. With Cucurella injured and Hato still developing, this requires immediate attention in the summer window.

2. **Game management**: Chelsea have now dropped 17 points from winning positions at home. This is not a coincidence—it’s a pattern that reflects mentality and tactical naivety.

3. **Discipline**: Six red cards in the Premier League this season is unacceptable. Fofana’s dismissal was avoidable and has now deprived the team of a key defender for a crucial fixture.

4. **Concentration**: The marking error that allowed Flemming a free header in the 93rd minute is inexcusable at this level. Rosenior has identified the problem; now he must fix it .

## The Fan Verdict: Rosenior Under Scrutiny

The Shed End forums reflect a fanbase that is increasingly divided on Rosenior. Some defend him, pointing to the chances created and the progress made since Maresca’s departure:

**”I saw enough chances being made and wasted to know he coached a win. We were still being overrun even with James on, Josh coming on made sense to counter the height they brought on”** .

Others are losing patience:

**”I think we all should have accepted the mediocrity of the club now, but it still gets to you as a supporter. He can roll out this sh*t all he likes, but he is not daft. He got the message when being taken on, how critical the club view CL qualification. This team this football, fails to achieve that, imo”** .

## The Road Ahead: Arsenal Next

Chelsea now face a daunting trip to the Emirates to face Arsenal on Sunday 1 March . With Fofana suspended, Gusto’s confidence fragile, and the team’s ability to see out games under intense scrutiny, it’s a fixture that could define Rosenior’s tenure.

The question hanging over Stamford Bridge is whether Rosenior can learn from this setback quickly enough to salvage Chelsea’s Champions League aspirations. The talent is undoubtedly there—Joao Pedro’s continued scoring form, Moises Caicedo’s dominance, Cole Palmer’s creativity—but talent alone doesn’t win tight games .

## The Final Word

Malo Gusto’s “no-look pass” will become a symbol of Chelsea’s afternoon: a moment of individual vanity in a team game, a flash of style where substance was required. But the real culprit is not one player or one moment—it’s a collective failure to understand what it takes to win ugly, to see out games, to do the basics under pressure .

**”You’re 1-0 up, the game is in the balance, and you try a no-look pass in your own half? It’s amateur hour.”**

The accusation stings because it’s true. And until Chelsea learn that Premier League points are earned through concentration and discipline, not flair and ego, they will continue to drop points they should have secured.

Rosenior faces serious questions. The answers he provides against Arsenal will determine whether this setback becomes a learning experience or the beginning of the end. 😤🔵⚡