Ambitious Rosenior has eye on Europe for young Strasbourg squad

Rosenior, 40, sat down with 'AFP Sport' to discuss his ambitions and the challenges of coaching the French league's youngest side.

"My focus is on getting us into Europe," said the ex-England under-21 international. With eight matches to go in Ligue 1, Strasbourg have amassed more points than in the whole of the previous season and sit seventh, four points off a Champions League spot.

When Rosenior took over at Strasbourg last July, even diehard supporters would have struggled to imagine that eight months later the club would be battling the likes of seven-time French champions Lyon for a spot in Europe.

"You're in football to dream. I never want to limit my players' dreams. I'm not being arrogant, but... with eight games to play? Of course it's possible," said Rosenior.

"I want my players to dream. I want them to believe they can win in every game they play." Rosenior's young side face a tricky run-in, with matches against Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco still to come.

Victory on Friday against fifth-placed Lyon would be a huge step towards European action next season, and possibly even a first appearance in the continent's top club competition since 1980.

"If you want to reach the Champions League or the Europa League, you have to beat the best teams," said Rosenior. "For me, it's part of the process. It's natural... You've just got to focus on the next game and do the best you can for that one."

Rosenior is aware that he has already achieved much this campaign. "We're in a position that I don't think many people would have believed that we would be in even now. So what we have to do is enjoy it. There's no pressure on us," he said.

"We have to go and play like we've been playing, play to win every game. And I think if we do that, and to the level that I expect us to play at, that we could have a really, really exciting end of the season.

"We might fall short. But it's been a really successful season in terms of embedding the long-term identity of the club."

'What makes me happy'

His father Leroy played for West Ham and Fulham and then became a coach. "Even before I was a player, I wanted to be a manager," said Liam. "I coached the school team when I was 11, they're still my best friends today. I would do sessions with them, organise the team for games and my teachers would let me."

Rosenior arrived at the Stade de la Meinau following his sacking by Hull after just shy of two years in charge of the English Championship side.

He found a very young team that had finished 13th last season under Patrick Vieira. The average age of one line-up used by Rosenior this term was 21 years 185 days, making it the youngest in Ligue 1 in the last 75 years.

"I had a two-week pre-season with the team... I had to implement a whole new way of playing. A completely different idea," explained Rosenior. "There was a lot of trial and error in the first half of the season. I didn't expect us to win every game. But what I always knew is where I wanted us to end up being as a team.

"With young players, it's like a blank canvas... I think they pick up things quicker. I love working with this group because they're so expressive. They're so honest. They care about each other. There is an exuberance about them that I love," he added.5

"They look like they enjoy playing football. That's what makes me happy."