Pressure? I eat it for breakfast
TWO CUP FINALS AND A CHAMPIONS LEAGUE RACE HELPS TUCHEL GET UP IN THE MORNINGS AND BLUES BOSS ADMITS: I’M JUST LOVING IT
THOMAS TUCHEL loves pressure-cooker, last-day scraps for glory.
Chelsea’s German coach insists that when everything goes to the wire – as with today’s shoot-out for the top four – he taps into a new drive and zest for his work.
That includes jumping out of bed at the crack of dawn, planning and plotting in even more frenzied detail than usual – and passing that same buzz on to his team.
The Champions League Final against Manchester City in six days’ time is on the back burner – for a few more hours at least.
Today is all about Chelsea’s trip to Aston Villa, nailing down third or fourth place and securing qualification for Europe’s most prestigious competition next term.
To be certain of achieving that regardless of other results, the Londoners, who stand a point ahead of Liverpool and Leicester, have to go for the win.
‘Bring it on’ was Tuchel’s message, as he spoke about the adrenalin surge that stems from such tension-riddled occasions.
The former Paris SaintGermain coach said: “You get absolutely focused, absolutely sharp when the kind of pressure that we have now is on.
“These last two matches for us – against Leicester and now Aston Villa – even if the pressure was on before, they ARE different. The situation is so clear now.
“It brings you to the edge. It brings you out of bed early. You think twice and become sharp. That’s what I demand of myself – to deliver under pressure.”
And he is equally certain that Mason Mount and Co share that required passion to do the business this afternoon.
“I like that our team delivers under pressure consistently, with top performances. This is what is needed now,” added Tuchel, who has lost just four of his 28 games as Blues supremo.
“We’ve got ourselves into this situation, which is a very positive thing. Everybody would have loved this situation in January.
“Everybody is calm and well aware of what is needed.
“We have full respect for Aston Villa and their quality – and for the Premier League and away games, in general.
“So we need the best that we can be – and this clearly includes the manager.”
With so much at stake, Tuchel cannot afford to shuffle his pack – even if the Champions League
to the Chelsea coach. Asked if he would ideally like to wrap his most influential figures in cotton wool before next Saturday’s final, the former Borussia Dortmund chief said: “Yes and no. Yes, in the sense that we want them in the
Final in Porto looms large on the horizon.
It means that his England midfielder Mount and the rest of You can overthink Tuchel’s regulars this... who to
leave out, who will be in action
needs a rest? this afternoon.
Which, actually, is probably for the best, according final and don’t want any injuries. We almost had that with Mason and Ben Chilwell against Leicester.
“But also, no. If we were qualified for the Champions League already, you can lose energy by having a rest.
“You can also overthink this. Who to leave out? Who needs a rest? You don’t know if they can pick up that top momentum again. That can be a problem. So if you ask me, I prefer to keep going until the very end.
“I think doing that is an advantage going into the Champions League Final. You have fought constantly and you don’t want to lose the rhythm.”