Masterclass! Tuchel reveals how he wanted to hurt Liverpool as Premier league decision stopped him
Following Chelsea draw at Anfield, Blues boss Thomas Tuchel has revealed he would have liked to more team changes and potentially cause more problems for Liverpool in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Anfield.
The Premier League is the only top league in Europe not to use the five-substitution rule.
However, Tuchel was unhappy he didn’t have more tactical options due to the Premier League’s keeping three-substitution rule.
“Everybody [else] in whole Europe has five changes, but we don’t. We play in the toughest in the league, and we don’t have it,” Tuchel told Chelsea TV.
“In the end, it will be a huge disadvantage in the Champions League, when we go to the European competitions, for all English teams.
“Of course, today, you would have loved to [make more substitutions], I had Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner with speed and quality to come from the bench.
“Maybe we [could have] taken Romelu off and hurt them [Liverpool] a little bit more with pace than only with physical abilities.”
“Imagine if someone needed to go out because of a cramp or whatever,” the Chelsea boss added.
“[At half-time], it was already two changes, so yeah, from there we had to really stick together and fight hard.”
Tuchel had to make two changes at half-time; Thiago Silva for Kai Havertz to keep the defensive shape and Mateo Kovacic for N’Golo Kante due to the latter’s injury.