The quotes from Romelu Lukaku are not helpful, says Thomas Tuchel, who is not happy with the Belgian.
In an interview with Sky in Italy, Romelu Lukaku said he was not very happy with the situation at the club, and that he was not happy with the way Tuchel was playing.
The interview was recorded earlier this month but was published on Thursday, just days before a huge clash between the two sides in the title race.
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Romelu Lukaku told Sky in Italy that he was not happy with the situation at Chelsea and talked about the possibility of returning to Inter.
"I don't like it because it brings noise that we don't need," Tuchel said. It's not helpful.
We don't want to make more out of it than it is. It's very easy to take lines out of context. It's very easy to make headlines and shorten lines, then later realize that it's not so bad.
Let's be honest, we don't like it.
Tuchel said that he was taken aback by the apparent unhappiness of Lukaku, and that he did not speak to him about his feelings before the interview.
"I don't think he's unhappy," said Tuchel. It's a surprise because I feel him the exact opposite.
I'm the wrong person to ask.
After scoring three goals in four games in a row for the Blues, it appeared that he was back in the team, and his comments were published after a period in which he had been out with an ankle injury.
When asked if the Belgian would be spoken to, and if he could even be reprimanded, Tuchel said they would do it behind closed doors.
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The Athletic's David Ornstein says Romelu Lukaku's interview with Sky in Italy caught his representatives off guard.
I think the relationship has always been open. There are no further comments to be made on that.
Tuchel has had to contend with a number of absences in his squad caused by Covid and injuries.
The head coach said that it was stupid to think that his side could compete for the title given their fitness issues and the fact that they are eight points behind leaders City.
The squad were angry at the fact that they had dropped more points, but Tuchel did not think that the words of the player could cause problems.
He said that the dressing room isn't necessary to be always in harmony. It's not necessary to be successful.
You don't have to be close to each other. Sometimes it's good to be on the edge and be a bit disharmony.
I don't think anyone in this building is aware that Romelu is unhappy, and that's what makes us surprised about these statements.
I don't see why it should be like this. We will deal with it when we hear what Romelu says.
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There are highlights from the draw between the two teams in the premier league.
In his interview, he talked about a return to Inter Milan, where he spent two years and won the Serie A title before returning to his previous team, the Blues.
He apologized to Inter's fans for the way he left the club and said he wants to return to the Italian champions.
"This is what you read into it," Tuchel said when asked about the suggestion that Romelu Lukaku might want a quick return to San Siro. I didn't read it completely.
It's easy to make headlines and take lines out of context to get the best out of these interviews.
If it's an important player, I understand the process and that's why it's a lot of noise.
We can take the time to understand what's going on and not just read the headlines.
It doesn't reflect Romelu's daily work, attitude and behavior.
Which change is being referred to?
Sky Sports' Gerard Brand.
It's difficult to see which change the Belgian is referring to, as his main gripe seems to be with a "different formation". When Romelu Lukaku joined the club, Tuchel was immediately asked what this would mean for the 3-4-2-1 system that helped them get back into the top four.
In August, Tuchel said that they now have the chance to play with two strikers, like they did at Inter with Lukaku. We will see how this works out.
Is it possible that Lukaku was promised a strike partner who would do the dirty work while he worked the key areas in the penalty area and on the shoulder of the defender? For Inter, there was a partnership role for Lautaro andAlexis, but it was not clear for Chelsea.
They have only started five times together this season, and only twice as a traditional front two. In the first of those two games, they were beaten by Manchester City and in the second they barely escaped with a victory. In the absence of Romelu Lukaku, Werner has been given opportunities to find form, but hasn't grasped it, and Tuchel has often opted for a front three.
After returning from injury in late November, Romelu Lukaku was given only a small amount of minutes, opting to play a false nine on several occasions.
Tuchel will claim that he has been protecting his £90m signing on his return from injury, but like any player, he wants to be on the pitch as much as possible. He said after the win at Villa that he needed a performance like this. I kept working hard despite the manager's reasons.
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