LONDON: Chelsea interim manager Calum McFarlane praised the “character” of his players after they bounced back from the sacking of Liam Rosenior to beat Leeds 1-0 in the FA Cup semi-final last night.
McFarlane took over at a time when Chelsea were in turmoil after Rosenior left the club last Wednesday, after just three months in charge.
The Blues have lost their last five Premier League games without scoring a goal in their worst run since 1912.
That poor run cost Rosenior his job and ended Chelsea’s hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
Rosenior’s difficult relationship with the Chelsea star was a major factor in his downfall.
However, McFarlane, who was previously part of Rosenior’s coaching staff, managed to spark a more positive action from the players at Wembley.
“We had to endure the pressure and show character and resilience when they attacked with all their might. That character was probably the most gratifying thing,” said McFarlane.
“I think these players showed how much they want to win and what they are willing to do to win important games for the club.”
Chelsea are back in the FA Cup final for the first time since 2022 and are chasing their first trophy since 2018.
They will face Manchester City in the final on May 16 and McFarlane is aware that a victory over Pep Guardiola’s men could salvage part of Chelsea’s difficult season.
“Relief is the right word. We were confident before the game. We had a good three days but you never know. We wanted to change the momentum; our performance was not that good,” he said.
“We knew Leeds would see us as a vulnerable team. We ourselves knew we were in a bit of a fragile state.
“Then we started to control the game. Robert Sanchez’s performance was very important for us. We haven’t kept enough clean sheets lately.”
Enzo Fernandez scored Chelsea’s winning goal in the 23rd minute with a header in an ironic situation given his strained relationship with Rosenior, who dropped the Argentine midfielder for two games after he hinted at a possible departure from the club at the end of the season.
Fernandez returned to his best form against Leeds and McFarlane said: “The most impressive thing about him is he’s a fighter.”