WE CAN’T TUCH ’EM
Blues not in big
Thom as Tu ch el admits chelsea are way too far behind the big two at the top of the Premier league.
Yet, at the same time, the Blues boss insists there is no disgrace in their failure to close the gap to the summit when Manchester City and Liverpool are sitting up there.
Tuchel may have blown his lid over poor displays more times this month than in the previous 12 put together but he remains adamant that his players have let nobody down over the whole campaign.
Quizzed if Chelsea should be closer to Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp’s outfits, the German said: “There is room for improvement.
“The gap is big but we are competing with, maybe, the two most successful teams ever in this league.
“Given ur last two home games, he ap s bigger han it hould be.
“Before that t wa bigger than it should e but that was due to circumstances – ot effort, uality r whatever.
“The effort and ambition s there. t’s no problem to be ambitious but, aybe, not reach it.
“It would not suit if said efore th season that we would open a box of champagne if we were fourth.
“But e should not feel disappointed because here by is no shame in it – in general, it’s very tough to end up in the top four.”
Even that is no longer a nailed-on certainty after successive home defeats to Brentford and Arsenal.
Another today when West Ham visit, and Spurs and Arsenal could be within striking distance of third-placed Chelsea.
Tuchel added: “We have seen, dramatically, in the Brentford and Arsenal games why the gap is that big to City and Liverpool.
“They don’t have these matches. We’re ninth in the home table.
“It is the consistency in performance. If you look at the individual performances, the goalscorers and assists at the top of the league, you find Liverpool players at the top of everything.
“We struggle o have hese kind of numbers.
Chelsea were inked with a summer for West Ham midfielder Declan Rice before the sanctions against owner Roman Abramovich.
Not that Tuchel is convinced they would have paid 150million-plus for Rice – even ith Abramovich still in charge.
He said: “When you hear the numbers floating around, maybe he is out of our league if w don’t have the risis.”