Chelsea manager Rosenior cautions squad on need for better discipline

Liam Rosenior called for better discipline from his Chelsea squad on Monday following Pedro Netos dismissal as their ninth red card of the season and warned he would bench players lacking control.

Chelseas 2-1 defeat to Premier League frontrunners Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday leaves them with only two victories in their last six outings across all tournaments.

Sitting sixth in the Premier League standings they face fourth placed Aston Villa on Wednesday just three points adrift of Liverpool in the race for next seasons Champions League spots.

Poor discipline has hurt Chelsea this term with Neto marking the seventh red card for a Stamford Bridge player in the Premier League.

Rosenior who took over from Enzo Maresca as manager in January noted that Neto had said sorry to his colleagues after being sent off in the 70th minute.

"My role involves building a culture of responsibility where errors are acceptable if you own them and ensure they do not recur" stated the English coach.

"Yet you must acknowledge the initial error. If I select the wrong lineup or err in my decisions I take responsibility and my players must do likewise in their instances."

The manager mentioned that Portuguese winger Pedro who sits out this weeks Villa Park clash had expressed regret to his team mates.

"I simply require enhanced conduct moving forward" he added.

"And it extends beyond Pedro. We have accumulated unnecessary bookings including for dissent and avoidable fouls. To advance and reach our goals we must deliberately act now to prevent repeats."

Chelseas head coach outlined various methods to address the problem.

"At times it is less about punishment and more about highlighting the benefits of avoiding a sending off" he explained. "Review our data and you will see that with a full complement of eleven players on the field both prior to my arrival and since our win probability surges dramatically.

"That alone should drive us to maintain composure during critical phases especially when facing adversity. Adversity might mean losing possession or disagreeing with a referees call.

"In such situations respond constructively and focus on the immediate next step. These are the areas we must target to boost our discipline."

Rosenior continued: "Select players demonstrating progress in this regard. I cannot sustain a campaign plagued by red cards every other match or so it is unfeasible.

"Thus I expect noticeable betterment and will tailor my lineups accordingly based on who exhibits the required qualities."