Liam Rosenior Responds to Paul Merson's Criticism: I've Been a Commentator, It's Easy

JAKARTA - Liam Rosenior menegaskan bahwa bekerja sebagai komentator TV itu mudah setelah kritik Paul Merson terhadap Chelsea dalam kekalahan semifinal Piala Carabao melawan Arsenal.

Chelsea lost 0-1 at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, early morning WIB, in the second leg, after losing 2-3 in the first leg.

Rosenior's tactics were questioned on Sky Sports TV studio after a goalless first half.

"If this plan continues, then he puts Cole Palmer and Estevao in, we'll praise him. We'll say what he's done is incredible."

"If Chelsea don't qualify after the first 45 minutes, the fans will be angry because those 45 minutes were wasted. They didn't give Arsenal any meaningful resistance at all."

"Chelsea have to win the game. Arsenal don't need to do anything. They are playing chess with each other, both waiting," said former Arsenal midfielder Merson.

Rosenior immediately spoke out about Merson's criticism.

"I used to be a commentator, it's easy. It's easy if you look at it from a past point of view. If I attack and do high pressing, then we concede two goals early, everyone will question what you are doing"

"That's the reality of my job. If you lose a game, you're criticised. If you win, you're a genius. It's usually somewhere in between," Rosenior said.

Merson's criticism did not stop there. After Chelsea were confirmed to be eliminated from the Carabao Cup, he immediately attacked Rosenior's children who, according to him, appeared with little motivation.

"They're playing at a slow tempo. It's a Carabao Cup semi-final, fight to the end! It's not a League One or League Two team coming to the Emirates to keep the score low, they have players capable of competing with Arsenal."

"They didn't try hard. There are ways to lose. If they lose 0-3 in this game, after firing shot after shot and Kepa was brilliant in goal, (you'll say): 'That's how it goes'."

"As a player, you'll be in the dressing room (thinking): 'We didn't try our best'. I've played in games like that, you come off the pitch and think: 'We've just been beaten and we didn't try our best'," Merson said.

The opinion was also supported by former Liverpool player Jamie Redknapp, saying Chelsea had not done everything they had.

"At the break, they were so excited, clapping, thinking: 'This is what we want to do, take them deeper into the second half and overcome the anxiety in the stadium'. But it didn't happen."

"Even the way they played at the end of the game, trying to play aggressively, they lost the pattern of the game. There will be a lot of regrets in that dressing room, thinking: 'We didn't do enough'," said Jamie Redknapp.