By Betsefy
Head coach Thomas Tuchel has suggested that he was left mystified with Chelsea‘s poor performance during the 1-0 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday evening.
On the back of fighting back to defeat West Ham United at the weekend, Chelsea had momentum heading into the first fixture of their 2022-23 Champions League campaign.
However, the Blues were undone by an early Mislav Orsic goal, the attacker running clear of Wesley Fofana before producing a cool finish past Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Although Chelsea had plenty of possession, it was the visitors who created the best chances, the visitors being left to rely on Arrizabalaga on more than one occasion.
With Chelsea having been inconsistent since the start of the season, the pressure is now rising on Tuchel after he was provided with the freedom to sign his desired targets in the transfer window.
Time is expected to be given to the German, but he has indicated that he currently does not have the answers to another inept display from his players.
© Reuters
Speaking to reporters at a press conference, Tuchel said: “I’m angry at myself, I’m angry about our performance, this is a huge under-peformance 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.”
When quizzed on whether his new-look squad deserves a bedding-in period, Tuchel added: “It’s for me to find the solution and find the reason why. Obviously they are under-performing 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.”
Chelsea’s next three fixtures all take place in London, starting with the derby with neighbours Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday afternoon.
Tuchel’s side then play host to Red Bull Salzburg in the Champions League before squaring off against Premier League rivals Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.
