TUCHEL’S CHOCCY HORROR SHOW
Thomas’ binge can’t relieve fury during video nasty
SOUTHAMPTON V CHELSEA 3PM
THOMAS TUCHEL binged on chocolate as he replayed Chelsea’s Champions League horror movie against Real Madrid.
But Tuchel admitted it did little to sugar coat the manner of their defeat.
The Chelsea boss was left fuming by his team’s limp performance against Real onWednesday night.
The 3-1 reverse leaves their hopes hanging by a thread – and it did not help that it came on the back of a 4-1 home thumping by Brentford.
Tuchel hauled his players over the coals on Thursday ahead of today’s game at Southampton and revealed: “To stay angry overnight is unusual.
“Sometimes I’m angry during a match or at half-time. After a game I normally decide not to speak too much if I’m not happy.
“But the feeling lasted. I watched the match again and got angry at home in the middle of the night, and the next morning I watched it again and got angry again.
“I was not THAT angry – the dog was safe. But the amount of chocolate I needed to go through the match again was immense.
“At some point you have to stop and take a walk into the kitchen and calm down. I got some sleep but late.
“It was not a discussion
meeting. I gave my point of view behind closed doors, where everybody can take criticism. “We don’t point fingers but we were not at our best level.
“It’s best to express it and not hide, be honest with the team. It is necessary the players can handle it if the manager is angry.” Tuchel knows Chelsea face an immense task in the if they are to turn things around in Madrid on Tuesday – and they also go into the game with Southampton only five points ahead of fourth-placed Tottenham.
The German added: “I am confident we will make the top four but it is never a given.”
Tuchel also said he wants the contract situations of N’Golo Kante and Jorginho, who will both have a year left on their deals this summer, sorted out.
He already faces losing Andreas Christensen to Barcelona at the end of this campaign, with his contract running out, while the futures of Antonio Rudiger and Cesar Azpilicueta are uncertain.
“Nobody wants that,” said Tuchel. “With important players, it’s a wish as a coach that we solve this in the summer.”