“I don’t think Tuchel is showing him enough love” – Paul Merson slams treatment of player who ‘will win something’ for Chelsea
Former England footballer Paul Merson has claimed that Chelsea have lost the chance to win the Premier League this season after they dropped Romelu Lukaku in their clash against Liverpool.
Paul Merson says Thomas Tuchel was wrong to drop Romelu Lukaku for Chelsea's must-win game with Liverpool, despite the striker's controversial interview.
Merson said the clash against Liverpool was a must-win match for Chelsea. The game ended in a 2-2 draw, meaning the gap between Manchester City and Chelsea widened to 10 points.
Speaking on the feud between Tuchel and Lukaku, Merson said that the Belgian international is a 'good striker' and Tuchel was wrong in keeping him on the bench for his controversial interview with Sky Italia.
In a conversation with Daily Star, Merson said:
"Romelu Lukaku will win something for Chelsea this season – but Thomas Tuchel has already blown the title by dropping him against Liverpool. They had to win that game to have any chance of chasing down Manchester City. Now they’re ten points behind and Liverpool are still right behind them."
Merson believes that Lukaku will now start every match under Tuchel and will definitely score more goals to carry the team ahead.
"Lukaku will play every game now. It will all be forgotten. And he will score goals. He’s a great striker. They will win something this season because his goals will carry them. ‘I thought he’d showed a lot of balls playing against Spurs. I think he did alright. I think there’s an issue because when he got back fit he had to sit on the bench."
Siding with the 28-year-old striker, Merson said that the Chelsea boss is not showing him 'enough love'.
"Lukaku is one of those players who needs an arm around his shoulder and I don’t think Tuchel is showing him enough love."
Romelu Lukaku has issued a public apology for hurting the sentiments of the club and their fans. The apology came after Tuchel and Lukaku discussed their disagreements in a closed-door meeting.
#CFC
“I’m sorry, guys”. Romelu Lukaku official message to Chelsea fans shared by club channels 🔵⤵️ #CFC https://t.co/7m3vfvXDfR
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel opens up about his plans in the winter transfer window
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has said that scores of injuries to his players have forced him to bring in reinforcements in the January transfer window.
Tuchel believes it will be difficult to take on tough opponents with a limited squad at the moment. The German manager has expressed that the club's participation in FIFA Club World Cup could further impact the fitness of his players.
Might seem unnecessary as James isn’t out for the season but Tuchel pointed out he could miss CL last 16, Club World Cup, big league games and a potential Carabao Cup final. Difficult to press on with only Azpi #cfc theguardian.com/football/2022/…