Liam Rosenior's rebuild following his difficult exit from Chelsea appears to be paying dividends in France, where footage of his passionate dressing room addresses at Paris FC has captured attention online.
The English coach took charge of the Ligue 1 outfit in early July, and results have followed almost immediately. Paris FC currently sit second in the French top flight after three matches, level on points advantage of five over their more illustrious neighbours Paris Saint-Germain. Victories over Marseille and Nice have been central to that early success, with Rosenior's side showing both attacking ambition and defensive resolve in a campaign that marks only their second in Ligue 1 since promotion.
Rosenior's time at Chelsea ended amid reports of a fractured relationship with his squad, with suggestions that players had grown disillusioned with his methods and message as results deteriorated. That backdrop makes his early impact at Paris FC all the more notable, as two videos released this week show a manager who appears to have his players fully bought in.
In one clip, filmed after Paris FC's 3-0 win over Nice, Rosenior is heard delivering an animated message to his squad through a translator, demanding relentless intensity rather than complacency once ahead on the scoreboard.
"Football is everything. You have to take care of that f****** ball," Rosenior told his players. "I want us to either keep possession or enter the tackle. Stay concentrated. I do not want us to survive our way through the game and win 1-0. F*** that.
"That is not what we are here for. Play. Go and get the second goal. We scored and then went 'ok. We are 1-0 up.'
"No, no no. Not now. Not now. The game is 0-0. Go and get the second goal."
A second video, captured before Paris FC's dramatic 3-2 victory over Marseille, showed a different side of the manager's approach. Rather than tactical demands, Rosenior used the pre-match moment to express his confidence in the squad, a message that seemingly resonated as his team came from behind to snatch a late win.
The viral nature of both clips has fuelled discussion about Rosenior's man-management style, which appears to be striking a chord with his new squad in a way that eluded him during his brief and turbulent spell in west London. Where his Chelsea tenure was marked by dressing room tension and mounting criticism as form dipped, his early weeks in Paris have been defined by cohesion and confidence, with players visibly responsive to his methods both on camera and on the pitch.
The true test of that bond will come in the coming weeks, as Rosenior's side face a testing run of fixtures. Lyon await next, followed by a meeting with Strasbourg, the club Rosenior managed prior to his ill-fated move to Chelsea. Both matches will offer a clearer indication of whether Paris FC's bright start reflects a genuine step forward under their new coach, or simply a favourable opening to the season.
For now, though, Rosenior appears to have found in Paris FC a platform to demonstrate the qualities that first made him an appealing managerial prospect, rebuilding both his reputation and a promoted side's Ligue 1 ambitions in the process.
Based on reporting from Standard (football).