Thomas Tuchel rejects claims that Chelsea’s attack is at fault after they slipped to a chastening defeat at Southampton… as he blames the Blues’ defending for their second loss of the season
- Tuchel says scrutinising Chelsea’s attacking set-up is the ‘wrong question’
- The Blues slipped to a 2-1 defeat after taking the lead on Tuesday night
- Tuchel blamed his side’s mentality for their second loss in five league games
Thomas Tuchel believes scrutinising Chelsea’s attacking set-up is the ‘wrong question’ in the wake of Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat at Southampton.
The Blues let a 1-0 lead slip through their fingers at St Mary’s Stadium, for their second defeat in five Premier League games.
Romeo Lavia and Adam Armstrong condemned Chelsea to a chastening defeat, with boss Tuchel later insisting mentality had been the key cause of the loss.
Cheksea boss Thomas Tuchel shows his frustration during Tuesday’s defeat at Southampton
But Tuchel rejected outright anything regarding the attack holding any influence on the loss at Southampton.
Asked if Chelsea still need a focal point in their attack, Tuchel replied: ‘This is totally the wrong question to ask now for attack.
‘It’s defending, the goals have nothing to do with attack.
‘We scored, we had chances enough, we can have a clean sheet, we can stay at 1-1.
Raheem Sterling gave Chelsea a deserved lead but the Blues slipped to a 2-1 defeat at Saints
‘It’s not a question of striker, no striker or what we have up front. It’s the wrong question for me at the moment.’
Chelsea were without N’Golo Kante, with Mateo Kovacic still working his way back to full fitness after knee trouble.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek picked up a hamstring issue at Southampton, while Conor Gallagher missed out through suspension.
Midfield might be one of Chelsea’s strengths but Tuchel explained the full extent of the injury concerns.
Chelsea struggled to live with Southampton and lost grip of the game after Saints equalised
‘I know what squads the other teams have, I know what the schedule is,’ said Tuchel. ‘And on Monday we had 16 players in training.
‘I cannot dream about what will happen if we have everyone back, I just have to work with what I have on the training pitch. And this is not a lot at the moment.’
Asked if the summer’s turbulent change of ownership could still be having a lingering effect, Tuchel replied: ‘Yeah maybe, but we know the line is so thin between excuses and explanations.
Adam Armstrong’s late first-half effort gave Southampton a rare victory over Chelsea
‘So I better not go down this road, because I don’t want to give anybody any chance, myself, players, staff, any room for excuses.
‘We need to find solutions, I think what will help is the closing of the transfer window. Then we will know who has full commitment, what role does everybody need to play, need to fulfil.
‘And everybody including myself needs to step up to a new level of performance.
‘These are okay performances, not a disaster but it’s okay, but okay can never be enough.’
Share this article
Source: Read Full Article
The post Tuchel dismisses claims Chelsea lack a focal point for their attack first appeared on europesportsnews.com.
