Malo Gusto defends 'top manager' Liam Rosenior amid Chelsea crisis

Gusto told ESPN: "I think he [Rosenior] is a top coach, I saw that a lot of people criticised him. I think he is a top person first of all, a top manager as well and as you say, he is young. He is a lot of things for the future, but if he is the Chelsea manager it is because he has the talent for this. For us as a team, we have to believe in him, believe in the way we play, to stick to our plan and see how it goes.

"He is a good person, he is really honest, really simple, you can see that he is really passionate. "He wants to share it with us his passion for football and I feel like I want to play for him, I want to show my best when he puts me on the pitch."

The transition from the Maresca era has proven difficult for the London giants. The Italian was surprisingly relieved of his duties despite delivering the Club World Cup and the Conference League in his debut campaign. Gusto revealed that the dressing room was left stunned by the decision and suggests that the subsequent dip in form is a direct result of such a major mid-season upheaval.

"It was a bit complicated for us in the middle of the season when Enzo Maresca was sacked," Gusto explained. "So a new coach coming in now, it was a big change I think for the team, everyone was surprised to be honest. It is a bit hard [changing system], when you start to understand one and then right away you have to change to another one, it is maybe a little bit more [difficult] for us because we have a little less experience."

While results have been bleak, including a heavy 8-2 aggregate exit from the Champions League at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain, the Chelsea hierarchy are reportedly maintaining a patient approach. Unlike previous regimes at Stamford Bridge, the current leadership is prioritising long-term stability over reactionary changes during a difficult period for the young squad. Despite a run that has seen the team suffer four consecutive defeats and conceding 12 goals in that span, Rosenior is expected to be given time to implement his philosophy. Internal figures suggest that the manager will be judged over a period of years rather than months, with the board viewing the current campaign as a transition phase exacerbated by Maresca's departure.

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