EPL: What I told Chelsea players after 5-2 defeat to West Brom – Thomas Tuchel

 

Thomas Tuchel has revealed what he told Chelsea players after their shock 5-2 defeat in the Premier League at home to West Brom on Saturday.

 

The former Paris Saint-Germain boss said he had some quick words with the players which was majorly to calm them down and prepare them for more to come.

 

Being their first loss in 14 games, the manager said he made the player understand that they have to accept and find a away to deal with it.

 

Since taken over from Frank Lampard towards the end of January, Thomas Tuchel’s Blues kept over 7 clean sheets and had 14 matches unbeaten run in all competitions.

 

The German gaffer also said that he will digest the game later once they are less ‘emotional’.

 

Chelsea took at Stamford Bridge through Christian Pulisic but the game flipped on its head when defender Thiago Silva was sent off.

 

Matheus Pereira scoring a brace for the relegation-battling Baggies before half-time to give the visitors 2-1 lead.

 

Sam Allardyce’s men then came back stronger in the second half, scoring more three goals against 10-man Chelsea as the Blues suffered their first defeat under Tuchel.

 

Asked whether he lost his cool in the dressing room and what he told the players, the former Borussia Dortmund boss said, “No, we cannot after 14 or 15 matches lose our head now and we cannot take away the trust we have in these players.

 

“But it was the moment after the game to be honest but to be calm and to breathe and to tell everybody to breathe.

 

“It will be a hard afternoon for everybody I think, a hard evening.

 

“We were the first to start this matchday and we had completely different plans for how to start this matchday.

 

“So we have to accept it now, it’s our first loss together and it’s important to find a way to deal with it together. And everybody knows that I feel as a part of it.

 

“So there were some quick words to calm everybody down and to delay the talks until tomorrow, because now is too emotional, now is too much frustration. It’s not productive enough.”

 

Chelsea will look to put the heavy aside as they prepare for their Champions League quarter-final clash against FC Porto on Wednesday.