Tuchel explains his team selections at Chelsea and how ‘trust’ is not enough

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Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has spoken about his squad rotation as he sent a clear message to his players about his team selections.

Tuchel has made 33 changes in just nine Premier League matches so far — and it is safe to say that he appreciates the squad depth he has at his disposal.

He might have already had his strongest eleven in mind, but the former Paris Saint-Germain boss clearly has not been hesitant to tinker with his team based on the opponents.

And now Tuchel has reiterated how important the squad depth is to his plan.

“When you play in competitions like the Premier League, Champions League, and the cups, there is no way you can arrive with 11 players in your head,” the German tactician told Chelsea’s 5th stand app.

“Whoever you see on the pitch deserves to be there and we cannot just keep players on the pitch just to keep them going.”

Tuchel also pointed out how during the “intense” run of fixtures, including away games v Atletico and Liverpool, the team travelled a lot which cost them “a lot of sleep”.

As a result, the manager decided to make a few changes in his line-up for Everton, and as the comfortable 2-0 win proved, it paid off.

“It was the moment to change and in my mind, there was no doubt about it because the guys on the pitch deserved it,” he added.

“We changed a little bit also for the characteristics of the offensive players because we expected a bit of man-marking in offensive midfield, so we went for more speed and deep runs.

“There is a reason for every change.

“You cannot just say you trust them — you have to let them play and they need to show it.”

Chronicle view

It is interesting how Tuchel emphasised that he does not base his decisions on trust.

Several players, such as Christian Pulisic, Tammy Abraham, and Billy Gilmour, have been struggling for minutes.

Does it mean they have not shown enough to the manager?

Tuchel recently admitted that he has been a bit unfair on Pulisic which is arguably the case for the aforementioned names, particularly Gilmour who has rarely even made the matchday squad.