Thomas Tuchel has explained that Chelsea changed formations for tactical reasons in the second half.
The boss added that the change was to help beat the first wave of Barnsley’s press.
Tuchel says that while the Blues can do better, he’s reluctant to be too harsh on the players.
“We changed to a back four and took Marcos [Alonso] out for this tactical change. Andreas [Christensen] had to go out because he had a headache,” Tuchel explained to BBC after the hard-fought win over Barnsley.
“The changes made it a little easier to get into the opponent’s half and overcome the first press.
“We did it well at the start of the second half and played constantly in the opponent’s half.
“We scored the goal and I had the feeling that they increased the risk but we stepped down in the little decisions. Not enough courage and it was too deep for a long, long time.
“We clearly can play better, so yes I expected more but not in terms that I am frustrated.
“If you lack a rhythm and a bit of self-confidence and you have to show on this pitch, against an opponent that takes all the risk and plays the game of his life, that is not easy. We can do better but I don’t want to be too hard on the players.”
Chelsea had a torrid time against a Barnsley side that pressed aggressively and had the better of the chances in the first half but some second half tweaks from Tuchel were enough to see the Blues through.
Follow our socials Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Google News.
