Europe
Thomas Tuchel Furious with Chelsea squad following 3-3 draw against Zenith
Thomas Tuchel is Angry with his Chelsea players following their poor performance In 3-3 draw against Zenith.
Chelsea boss, Thomas Tuchel has sent a brutal message to his squad following their 3-3 draw against Zenith Saint Petersburg in the last group game of the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night.
The result means that Chelsea finish second in group H after dropping points in Russia, while Juventus finish top after 1-0 victory over Malmo.
Chelsea will be unseeded in the Round of 16 draws, meaning they will face the likes of Bayer Munich, Real Madrid, Ajax Amsterdam and LOSC Lille who all finished top of their respective groups.
Speaking in a post-match conference via via FootballLondonfootball.london, Tuchel send a brutally honest message to his side.
He said: “It is the basics and the basics need to be pushed onto a higher level while we are in the lead. It cannot drop just because we are in the lead and this is what is happening right now to us. It’s not the big picture but it is what it is.”
The German tacticain rued his side recent poor defensive record as they conceded three goals, making it six goals in just two matches.
The Blues will have to work on their defensive performance if they are to have any chances of defending the UEFA Champions League title and also up their game after recently sliding to third place in the Premier League table.
What did Chelsea do wrong on the night after a bright start to the game?
“In my opinion, we had a feeling that ‘This is OK. We are in charge. We are the better team’.
“I think we had a very good first 15 minutes but we stopped doing the things we did. I had the feeling, and this is my opinion, that we forgot why we were the better team.” he said.
“And once this drops 5%, 10% and it did once we change our behavior we get punished at the moment. It happened at West Ham and again today.
“We started playing balls back, not attacking with the same aggression and same hunger and we have been punished twice.”
“My analysis is very clear: our behavior changes when we have a lead,” Tuchel added.
“This is something we never did and should never do. If you change then, you allow the chance to be punished. The challenge is to close the door.”
Chelsea will next face Leeds United on Saturday, in the Premier League as the look to return to the top of the table.