Thomas Tuchel insists Edouard Mendy’s position as Chelsea’s number one goalkeeper is not under threat and doesn’t want people “pointing fingers” at the Senegal international after yesterday’s defeat to West Ham United. After the defeat, Tuchel lamented a number of individual mistakes from his side and stated that Mendy was going through a rough patch before
Thomas Tuchel said: “I don’t know why exactly but he seems to have lost a bit of confidence. His decision-making was not on the highest level today with the first goal but we also bring him to a really awkward situation [with Jorginho’s back pass]. He could have saved the situation but he did not. We are far, far away from blaming anybody.”
Tuchel’s claim that Mendy had perhaps lost a little bit of confidence was a surprise given he pulled off more than one fine stop in the midweek victory over Watford, although in that game he did look hesitant with the ball at his feet. Tuchel asked after the defeat to West Ham how he would approach Mendy’s dip in confidence. Would he take him out of the side or let him play through the problem? The answer delivered by the German was clear.
Thomas Tuchel said: “I don’t see at all why we should have major doubts with Edou. Every single career as a goalkeeper out there, there will be tough days and tough moments and they are in the spotlight because you are in an exposed situation and position if you play goalkeeper. Every little mistake and every ball loss or every decision-making when you struggle is so obvious. That environment starts pointing fingers, or whatever, this is absolutely normal. We don’t want this to happen because he is crucial for us in our defensive performance. Maybe on his very best day today, we could have won the game 2-1. But now it is on us to also be there for him and to go through there with him. We would not do anything else with anybody else and that’s it.”
