Thomas Tuchel has opened up on ‘clear the air’ talks at Chelsea after cancelling the squad’s day off to hold discussions with his players.
Tuchel cancelled a planned day off to call his side into the club’s training ground on Sunday, following the disappointment of the 2-2 draw with Wolves at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea squandered a two-goal lead to drop points in the clash, extending their recent run to one win from five Premier League fixtures with the Blues’ place in the top four now under threat.
Ahead of Wednesday’s clash with Leeds, Tuchel spoke on his decision to bring the players in for talks on Sunday and says it was a move designed to raise spirits and not punish his side.
“We planned a free day but after the disappointment it was not to punish them,” he said at his pre-match press conference. “Maybe some felt it was a punishment. It wasn’t.
“It was not the moment for a free day; it is better to be together and talk about it. We did very light training, had a run together and discussed things.
“I think most of them expected a 30-minute teamtalk and then to watch the game again. Once they understood why they were here I get the feeling most of them accepted it and even looked up for it because there was an Under-23 game at one o’clock and I think two-thirds of the team stayed and watched it.
“Nobody was getting in their car and getting away as early as possible. They take their responsibility – that is what I love about the team. It’s not like they arrived here with closed faces.”
“I also cancelled my free Sunday,” he added. “But this happens. If you want to be loved on a daily basis you should not become a football coach.
“Everybody was here and the reaction was very nice. We used the Sunday morning to go over it so we had the Monday free for training. We just cleared the air.”
