Players will get Tuchel Herr-dryer treatment sooner or later
GERMAN WAITING TO BLAST BLUES
THOMAS TUCHEL has warned his players not to be fooled by the love-in at Chelsea.
The German is merely saving himself so his first major row can have maximum effect.
Chelsea manager Tuchel is highly enamoured with his team after they followed up the goalless draw against Wolves that started his reign with four wins.
He is hoping to keep the run going tonight against Steve Bruce, right, and his struggling Newcastle.
But Tuchel has been biting his tongue over the minor niggles that have sprung up so far.
“Just because I’m trying hard to be kind to you guys in the media, it does not mean I’m trying too hard so everybody loves me in the dressing room,” he said.
“At the moment I am happy. So, I can tell them I am happy with their attitude and performance. But can I be a shouter? Yes, if it is absolutely necessary. I can be totally emotional if I feel it is the moment to do it and to surprise them.
“If you do it all the time nobody would listen, because it becomes a habit and everybody gets used to it.
“But if we have to point out things clearly, I am a big, big fan of doing it in front of the whole group.
“If they have caused trouble for the team on the pitch, we should tell the players individually.
“But also I believe strongly the group has to handle it and everybody has to have the personality to swallow some criticism in front of the group. I don’t do stuff to be loved by everybody in the dressing room.” The Blues should be aware that tonight could be a candidate for Tuchel to lose it after he admitted Valentine’s Day was one of the worst of his life.
“Taking the Chelsea job did mean we had to take a very quick decision, that my family stays at the moment in Paris to finish school with the kids,” he said. “It isn’t easy – impossible in fact – to travel for all of us. Things are well organised, my kids go to school and it would be nice if we could be together. “This is absolutely not easy and I miss them a lot. So, Valentine’s Day was a Zoom meeting, family-wise, which is pretty sad.”