Tuchel quiet on Kounde but hopeful Azpilicueta stays at Chelsea
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel fumed at his players and suggested that the Blues might not be ready for the start of the Premier League season after being thrashed 4-0 by Arsenal in the US. The West Londoners have less than two weeks until they face Everton but are not ‘mentally committed’, according to Tuchel.
“I can not guarantee (we will be ready),” Tuchel slammed. “I saw today a team in Arsenal who are mentally committed to an idea of playing, a level of exhaustion, a level of physical commitment that we could not match. We were absolutely not competitive.”
Tuchel also called out some individuals who remain at Chelsea but are considering leaving. Timo Werner last week publicly hinted that he comes under that category, while Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso have long been strongly linked with Barcelona.
"Also, a level of mental commitment that we lacked because we have a lot of players who are thinking about leaving and looking at their options. We have players that have left and I think at the moment that's obvious,” Tuchel added.
As many as seven Chelsea stars might have been the subject of Tuchel’s behind-closed-doors wrath. Express Sport looks at who might have upset the German.
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel raged at his players after they lost against Arsenal (Image: GETTY IMAGES)
Trevoh Chalobah
With more defensive reinforcements required, it is difficult to see Chalobah getting the same amount of game time as he enjoyed last season. The academy graduate appeared in 20 Premier League games but Tuchel has made upgrading on his defenders a priority.
Chalobah could find himself on the bench more often than not. Giving the ball ahead in the build-up to Arsenal’s opening goal - scored by Gabriel Jesus - is unlikely to have done the 22-year-old any favours.
Cesar Azpilicueta
Tuchel appears to be frustrated by the lack of activity among the players who want to leave, and long-serving defender Azpilicueta is a prime example. The Spaniard activated a one-year extension clause in his contract but has still been linked with Barca.
The La Liga outfit might need to trim their wage bill before they can acquire the 32-year-old and team-mate Alonso. That will be a frustration to Chelsea and Tuchel, who simply want to know who is committed to the club for the season - and who is not.
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Cesar Azpilicueta has been linked with a Chelsea transfer exit (Image: GETTY IMAGES)
Wing-back Emerson Palmieri came close to being recalled by Chelsea midway through last season due to injuries suffered by Alonso and Ben Chilwell. That did not materialise but he would have hardly impressed Tuchel in this opportunity to audition as a genuine contender to start the campaign.
On the left side of a back four, the Brazilian looked uncomfortable and struggled to deal with Arsenal’s attacking impetus.
Marcos Alonso
Just like Azpilicueta, Chelsea will want to know where Alonso’s allegiance lies two weeks before the start of the season. The 31-year-old could start the season at wing-back but Tuchel does not know if he can rely on the player to be a Chelsea player come two weeks’ time.
Conor Gallagher
Academy graduate Conor Gallagher was desperate to impress Tuchel this summer and follow in the footsteps of Reece James and Mason Mount by becoming first-team regulars. But his performances in pre-season do not suggest he is walking into the regular starting 11 any time soon.
It is difficult to see where the 22-year-old fits into Tuchel’s preferred 3-4-3 formation. At Crystal Palace, he starred in an all-action, box-to-box role, but that job does not exist at Chelsea. He is limited when sitting in a deeper midfield position, and his energy would be wasted in one of the positions that support the central striker.
Timo Werner has flirted with a Chelsea exit (Image: GETTY IMAGES)
Jorginho
It has never been completely clear which double-pivot combination Tuchel prefers. The ex-Borussia Dortmund coach has flittered between using Jorginho with Mateo Kovacic or N’Golo Kante, or having Kovacic alongside Kante and Jorginho on the bench.
This was not a great performance by the Italian, and Tuchel could prefer his other two central midfielders for the season opener against Everton. It is also common knowledge that Chelsea have tried to sign a younger midfielder for the best part of two years - which could see Jorginho scrambling for game time.
The former RB Leipzig star wants guaranteed game time and he is unlikely to get that at Chelsea. Raheem Sterling will play in the left-sided attacking role that Werner occupied last season, while Kai Havertz appears to be favoured in the centre.