Tuchel reflects on Havertz, Chelsea’s problems in attacking Leeds United

Chelsea have yet to lose a game under Thomas Tuchel, which is great, but we have yet to score more than two goals in a game that is not that great. Even more worrying, we scored less than two in eight of the twelve, including three draws. The fact that we managed to create less than 1.0 xG against one of the nicest defenses in the entire Premier League was particularly surprising and shocking today.

Earlier this week, Monday, it looked like we could find a potential solution or at least part of a solution by using Kai Havertz in the middle of the attack, either as a forward or as a fake -9 (depending on who you asked for). And it was a promising enough performance that even when Tuchel turned everyone in the attack – and even added one extra player! – he considers Havertz to be the de facto attacker.

Unfortunately, Havertz missed the best chance for Chelsea and unlike Monday, he was also unable to create points for others. The lack of goals was of course not entirely on him at all, but if the man was at the forefront of the attack, and presented the most chances (he had 4 of us total of 15 strokes, but also 4 of our 8 strokes on target), the expectation was certainly that he would repent.

Photo by Darren Walsh / Chelsea FC via Getty Images

That was part of the overall disappointment at Elland Road, as Tuchel thinks afterwards.

‘It was about the same role he had against Everton. Kai, I feel comfortable in high positions. I feel comfortable for him to fall in half from the high position to maybe turn, drive and use his speed. But he also arrives very naturally in the six inheritance boxes. He feels comfortable in our attacks.

‘He can play as number 9, half attack or as wing. These are his positions and today we used him again as number 9. I’m glad, but unfortunately he could not finish like he was in training and how his talent enabled him to finish, because we had enough chances and created enough chances to be the decisive guy.

“He’s comfortable in this position and I trust him in this position.”

Havertz is hardly alone in not turning up for Chelsea this season (and last, even). I would say that it can even be contagious, but it may be an inappropriate metaphor to use in the midst of a pandemic. Either way, Havertz joins the rest of the crew not going, but in his case we can at least find solace in the fact that he finally seems to have fully recovered from his injuries and illness.

Photo by Lee Smith – Pool / Getty Images

Meanwhile, Tuchel continues to search for balance. He seems to be taking the chance to weigh the attack today, which did not bear fruit, and in fact we have to thank Edouard Mendy’s strong hands for at least one point. But as a coach, you can not just use the final score to make decisions.

‘It will always be a team effort to attack and always a team effort to defend.

“We have to admit that we put a lot of pressure higher on the pitch, that our strikers never stopped working, that our front line never stopped putting intensity and back pressure. So do they always arrive in the freshest moments? No, they do not. obviously not in a match like an opponent like Leeds.

‘And still I believe we have the quality to make better use of the chances, to make better use of the moments of half chances and counter-attacks, to create more and be more clinical. But it remains our responsibility, my responsibility to create more and maybe have more great chances, but if we win this game by one or two goals, we will talk about it completely differently and we will stay focused on performance. ”

-Tomas Tuchel; source: Football.London

And so the search continues.