[News] ‘It’s not about 10 players serving one player’ – Thomas Tuchel rejects calls to change tactics to suit Romelu Lukaku

Chelsea manager, Thomas Tuchel had warned record signing, Romelu Lukaku that the team always comes ahead of the player, urging the Belgian to get in form.

Chelsea is still yet to get the best out of the £98 million signing, but Tuchel says he will not be tinkering with the team’s tactical approach to suit the Belgian .

Having helped to fire Inter to the Serie A title last season, while proving himself as one of the most fearsome strikers in world football, the 28-year-old Lukaku was expected to spearhead a challenge for Premier League glory in 2022.

But he caused controversy with an interview in which he suggested that he never wanted to leave Italy and has registered only eight goals through 22 appearances.

Tuchel admitted on the back of a 1-0 defeat to Premier League leaders Manchester City at the weekend that Lukaku needs to start offering more to the team.

Quizzed ahead of a trip to Brighton on Tuesday, January 18 as to whether change is required in order to get Lukaku firing, Tuchel told reporters:

“No, I think we do everything to help him.

“I think it’s the wrong question because it’s focusing on one player. He is a key player and we want him to be a key player but for me, I think it is the wrong approach.

“This is what we do for any player. This is a team sport and it’s not about 10 players serving one player. It is not Chelsea and it is not football.

“Every player is there to serve the team. This is the highest principle and won’t change.”

Pressed on whether Chelsea were expecting more from Lukaku, Tuchel said:

“We expected more from all our offensive performance in the last match.

“I think we had enough offensive actions, transitions, to hurt Man City more than we did. If this answers your question, maybe not 100 per cent, but he is included in our offensive component.

“He’s a key player, so there will always be pressure but not more pressure than he puts on himself. And we need to find a mix between all the expectations, the pressure and to be relaxed enough to play your best game, because it’s not only about pushing, about demands, it’s also about feeling peace and being relaxed on the pitch.”