Thomas Tuchel was not happy with his team’s performance last night against Charlotte.
He was very critical of their slow and sluggish attacking play, and while the half time change of team was certainly pre-planned, the manager looked delighted to be able to roll the dice again.
He didn’t get much better out of the team in the second period, despite deploying the front 3 that many would consider his first choice.
Raheem Sterling was on the left, with Mason Mount on the right and Kai Havertz up top.
It didn’t work any better than the setup that played in the first period, and speaking after the game only Sterling was in line for any credit at all from the coach.
“The only thing that matters is what I see on the pitch. I saw four accelerations in the second half and they all came from Raheem.
“This is what he delivers and there is no need for major doubts or huge criticism. But it is never important what the manager has in his head before pre-season, it’s the reality that counts. Every day in training and matches like this count and from there we go.”
There’s plenty of time for Tuchel to change his mind on how he lines up for the first game of the season, against Everton in just a couple of weeks, but one thing is for sure – Sterling is going to be in there.
