The German coach admitted he may not be popular right now in his own dressing room
Thomas Tuchel says he doesn't care if his managerial methods cause Chelsea players to hate him and acknowledged he may not be well-liked at the moment following a mandatory training session on their expected day off Sunday.
The Blues' 2-2 draw on Saturday prompted Tuchel to call in the squad on short-notice for tactical drills and a talk about their poor form.
Chelsea are mired in a slump that has seen them win just one of their past five matches.
What did Tuchel say?
“If you want to be loved on a daily basis you should not become a high level football coach. It will not happen," he told reporters. "At this moment I’m probably not popular. Most of them expected a 30 minute team talk and then to watch the game again. Once they understood why they were in and the weather was fine most of them accepted it.
“I need a free day - because I also cancelled my free Sunday! I also had some plans on Sunday morning and they were cancelled. But this happens. There was even an Under-23s game at 1 p.m., and two thirds of the team stayed and watched it. Nobody was getting in their car and getting away. They take their responsibility, and that is what I love about the team.”
The bigger picture
Tuchel's debut season at Stamford Bridge could hardly have gone better for him, as he won the Champions League within four months of being hired.
This year has been far more challenging for the manager - on the field and off of it.
Tuchel has been forced to navigate drama with Romelu Lukaku, serve as a spokesperson during Chelsea's ownership crisis and handle tricky contract situations with Cesar Azpilicueta, Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger.
Performance levels have dropped in 2021-22, and Tuchel has appeared increasingly exasperated with his players.
Still, Chelsea could win the FA Cup this weekend in what would be a massive confidence booster in the final month of the campaign. They play Liverpool on Saturday following a midweek Premier League clash with Leeds.
Ziaaensu
605
I think T.T is a good coach,and has excellent management tactics,being able to keep Chelsea in top four with all that's been going on cause of sunctificsations is top notch.Love you TT best wishes
Brazilian4ever
22
Sure you can hate him as much as you can ! But working on fixing the teams tactics and formula for getting the best outcome for a comfortable win isn’t to be looked down upon. The Chelsea players are paid millions for what ? Cheer all you want on game day but all those cheers are meaningless with a poor performance with a draw or loss. Wanna see your family players make sure your work is up to par. Well done Tuchel.. You want a good manager perform an outstanding game cause he knows Chelsea is the best in the EPL. As much as I dislike them any team knows their walking on eggshells because they can crucify you in a second.