As I took the first sip of my morning coffee on Thursday, I did not expect Thomas Tuchel's post-match interview to be stronger than my daily dose of caffeine. In an unreserved and unfiltered two minutes with BT Sport's Des Kelly, Tuchel was not shy for once in directing criticism at his own squad.
"If we play like this, we will lose in Southampton and then we don’t need to think about Bernabeu because we will get hammered in Bernabeu," he said.
In what was a quite tense and slightly awkward interview with Kelly, the German was not afraid to challenge the interviewer back. "What do you expect from me? To smile? Of course I am down. No, we don’t have to go to Madrid, we have to go to Southampton. I think this is very, very important we process this. It’s crucial we go to Southampton, and I will make sure everyone processes this."
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Tuchel's calm and collected off-field demeanour has been one of the traits that has gained him much affection and praise since taking the Chelsea job almost 15 months ago. His eloquent and detailed responses to difficult questions over the past month have gained him wider praise from those outside of Chelsea.
His approach reflects the modern style of coaching. Emotionally intelligent, able to answer broader questions not strictly related to football, and is happy to dissect the tactical side of the game without fear of boring anyone. But this almost scathing analysis did not feel too detached from the combative approach of Jose Mourinho.
Not one to mince his words or pass the opportunity for confrontation, Mourinho's frank criticism of his own players in recent times has hurt his reputation and soured the moods of the clubs he's at. The days of the "hairdryer" treatment on a consistent basis are long gone. Not only because they feel antiquated, but they appear to have little impact on squads with bigger personalities.
However, from a supporters' perspective, this approach from Tuchel was actually refreshing. For as much as those of us in the stands will never know what it is like to coach or play in the Premier League, you cannot dupe those watching for long. The performances in the last two games simply have not been good enough and Tuchel was not going to insult anyone's intelligence by denying that.
Chelsea has a Champions League winning squad, one that has also won a Club World Cup in 2022. Not only are these players operating at a high level, but they are also playing for one of the biggest clubs in England. I am sure even they would admit the last two performances have not been acceptable, particularly with what they have shown under Tuchel since he was appointed.
Too often in the modern game, it seems the duty of responsibility on players' shoulders is being lessened. The expectation that a player's own faults can be excused due to a coach's system or tactics. The game is becoming more analytical and data-driven, which for its benefit, has created a culture of demeaning intangibles that cannot be quantified on a spreadsheet.
Tuchel maybe needs to give his team some coffee before Saturday's clash with Southampton, because the last two performances have not been worth waking up for.
