“Great nonsense” – Pundit blasts Tuchel for treating Chelsea player poorly after Club World Cup victory
Following Chelsea’s Club World Cup glory, BBC pundit Garth Crooks has described Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku as instrumental to Chelsea success.
However, Lukaku scored the only goal in the semi-final as the Blues beat Al Hilal and then scored again in the final as Chelsea beat Palmeiras 2-1.
Pundit Crooks believes Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel treated Lukaku poorly following his interview with an Italian journalist in December in which the striker admitted he was unhappy with his situation at the club.
Tuchel left him out of for just one game, which was a 2-2 draw with Liverpool in the Premier League on 2 January.
The Belgian forward apologised before being reintroduced to the side.
“I said Thomas Tuchel would need Romelu Lukaku and so it is proving. Crooks told BBC.
“The overzealous nonsense by the Chelsea manager in sanctioning the Belgium striker after he fell for the flattery of an interviewer in Italy almost cost Tuchel and the club.
“Instead Lukaku apologised when other strikers of similar calibre might have put two fingers up to the manager and made for the exit.
“All credit to Lukaku, who has knuckled down and worked his way back to form with regular appearances, which is all the £97.5m player wanted in the first place.
“Lukaku led the line brilliantly against Palmeiras and was instrumental in Chelsea winning the Club World Cup for the first time in their history. Not a bad return.”
Lukaku has scored 10 goals in 27 appearances for Chelsea in all competitions this season.