Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has called on Chelsea's senior figures to directly confront manager Enzo Maresca about his controversial rotation policy at Stamford Bridge.
The Rotation Concern
The issue came to a head during Chelsea's midweek Champions League clash with Qarabag, where Maresca made seven changes to his starting lineup. The Blues struggled to a 2-2 draw against the Azerbaijan side, raising questions about the manager's approach.
This season, the Italian manager has made a staggering 85 changes across 16 games, though some were forced through injuries to key players like Cole Palmer and Liam Delap. Maresca has also been carefully managing the minutes of Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, both of whom racked up over 4000 minutes last season in a gruelling campaign that only concluded in July after the Club World Cup.
Rooney's Warning
Speaking on his podcast, The Wayne Rooney Show, the England legend expressed serious concerns about the psychological impact of constant changes. "That's part of the problem with having so many good players. The players want to play, they want to build relationships," Rooney stated.
He emphasised that even players who retain their spots struggle to develop understanding with teammates when the lineup changes so frequently. "When you keep chopping and changing then the players won't be happy, 100 percent. Players getting game time who might not expect it will be happy but you want to play consistently and I think that will come back to bite them."
Leadership Group Must Act
Rooney insisted that it falls to Chelsea's leadership group, including captain Reece James and key figures like Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, to address the issue directly with Maresca.
"I'm sure most teams have leadership groups, I think that is one where as a group, you have to go question the manager," he said. "I don't think it's player power. I would be concerned if the team kept changing. You can change one or two players, normally wide players or your forward. But your midfield players, your back two, your goalkeeper, should never change if they are fit and playing well."
Rooney added that while successful results would justify the approach, "if they are not there have to be questions asked." He concluded with strong advice for the dressing room leaders: "If I was in that leadership group I would be speaking to my teammates and saying 'we are not happy with this.'"
