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Football London
Football London
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Scott Trotter

Every word from angry Thomas Tuchel on blaming himself, Chelsea lacking hunger and no days off

You look very frustrated and seem quite angry, could you give a summation of the match?

Of course, I'm angry at myself, I'm angry about our performance, this is a huge underpeformance from all of us. It's not precise enough, it's not clinical enough, it's not aggressive enough on the ball, it's not determined enough, it's not good enough individually, it's not good enough as a team.

In terms of the team gelling together, is this stemming from pre-season? How many players are at top of their game?

Not a lot at the moment. It’s for me to find the solution and find the reason why. Obviously they are underperforming individually and i don’t really know where this performance today comes from. A lack of determination, a lack of hunger and a lack of intensity to actually do the things that we need at the highest level. We are clearly not where we want to be.

READ MORE: Chelsea player ratings vs Dinamo Zagreb: Kepa produces, Koulibaly, Mount and Aubameyang poor

What more could you have done?

It’s not about blaming. It’s not about blaming. I’m describing and trying to answer your question and describe my feelings. I’m not blaming anybody - it’s just the reality of today’s game.

Today was your 100th game, where does it rank for you?

I don’t have a ranking for these things, I just know that I need to find a solution.

Did Dinamo surprise you?

No they did not. We expected what we got and I think we got what we got. It was the story of the last few games - we start okay for 15-20 minutes but then lacked determination, precision and maybe even lacked the smell of blood.

We had an amount of deliveries and an amount of spaces and an amount of ball wins that should be by far enough to have far more attempts but we did not. We conceded a goal with two players in a counter-attack, it's never happened before. I don’t understand why it happened today.

It’s clearly my job to analyse it so this is my analysing from the sideline and it will continue. We need to be much better. We are not finished, we are not happy with our results, we are not happy with the way we play in general, but I thought we were on a good way. I’m a bit surprised by this performance today.

Why are you angry with yourself?

Because I didn’t see it coming. Obviously I was in the wrong movie. I did not see that coming. I thought that the last game helped us, I thought we showed a reaction in a very difficult moment against West Ham, got the reaction, got the result in the moments when you need a bit of luck in the situation we were in. We had good training sessions, I thought the team was prepared, I thought we know what this is all about. I didn’t see it coming, that’s why I’m angry on myself.

You've been critical of players but also need to keep them with you, how do you strike the right note?

It’s a bit of a game you play when you say I was so super critical. I said we need to toughen up in set pieces and in challenges. This, for me, is not super critical. You ask me a question and I give you an answer. It depends a little bit what you make of it. I don’t think you lose a player.

If you lose with Chelsea against Southampton in the way that we lost with a set piece with a goal against seven, eight, nine, packers in defence, of course you need to toughen up. It is simply a reality. I don’t see that this is a big issue. I think that I use the word we a lot and this word includes me, so I don’t see a point where I lose the team and I answer your questions.

Did you underestimate Dinamo?

Me personally, no. If we did then we have a huge problem. honestly, then we have a huge problem if we did.

What did you think of the atmosphere?

I think it would be a much, much better atmosphere if we had all tribunes full. It is what it is. But of course we know that the crowd is emotional, the crowd is loud. They did their very best but the atmosphere today was no key in making us underperform. It was a good atmosphere but the advantage is huge for the home team with one stand completely closed. It is actually an advantage for us and we let it pass.

After Wolves last season you cancelled a day off, same again?

There is no day off. There is no day off in the planning and there cannot be a day off in the moment.

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