https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2022/02/05/
tuchel-admits-chelsea-looked-at-transfer-market-and-reveals-stre
Tuchel admits Chelsea looked at transfer market and reveals strength of
team to take on Plymouth
05 Feb 2022
Thomas Tuchel is experienced enough to know it is not wise to purchase a
player in the mid-season transfer window unless every box is ticked by a
potential target.
https://i.imgur.com/14QVSR3.jpg
Therefore, our head coach is comfortable with Chelsea having not spent to
add to the squad in January and although he admits the player pool was
stretched thinly in recent weeks, when he spoke about that pressure at the
time, it was not a way of insisting that more players were needed. With
the transfer window closed, it is a subject he speaks further about now.
'When I described the situation that we lacked key players and we lacked
maybe points because of this, I just described the situation - there were
no messages to the board or to [director] Marina [Granovskaia],' Tuchel
clarifies. 'If I want to give a message I can go to my phone and call her
or directlycan do a meeting.
https://i.imgur.com/rNer35W.jpg
'So it was just to give my opinion why maybe things in the league table
and the results and the style of play do not work out like we want them to
work out. For me the reasons are the injuries and Covid and that we had
the toughest schedule.
'Of course we looked into the transfer market,' he adds. 'Of course we
were informed what is possible. Of course people offered us players. But
you have to calm down the noise around it and it has to make sense. To
make sense you need a big package because you need the quality, the
personality and the position.
https://i.imgur.com/0EZs7ba.jpg
Malang Sarr has made frequent appearances recently
'Players like Malang Sarr stepped up when they played lately so
considering the opportunities, it left us with the decision not to do
anything, and it was a decision we took together.'
With the composition of the squad now settled for the rest of the season,
Tuchel considers how well we are equipped for the challenges ahead.
'I hope we have no more injuries and I hope we don't struggle so much from
Covid,' he states. 'I trust the players and like I said, some players
really stepped up like Malang. Trevor Chalobah is now in a better shape
after his re-injury and we have Andreas Christensen back in the group.
https://i.imgur.com/2I2SREn.jpg
Andreas Christensen in training
'We experimented a little with a new system and a new formation that gives
us a better chance to be a bit more flexible and have some new positions
where we can improve from there.
'I'm very calm. I still have trust in what we have. Everybody needs to
step up and of course the group is not very big, we can struggle when we
have injuries, but if there are doubts [over a transfer in], I have
learned better not to do it and to trust in what we have, and also my job
is to find solutions and bring out the best in all of us.'
And despite having used several Academy players in cup games this season,
it will be from his main squad that Tuchel will select today's team to
take on Plymouth in the FA Cup.
'This game is not about the youngsters,' he explains. 'It is about being
ready again after one week break and one week of training. It's about
being ready to win the next game and restart the engines.
'All the respect to the young guys, I'm happy with them when we needed
them, they performed very well, but the professional squad will take care
of the Plymouth game.'