Headlines

Chelsea must ‘toughen up’, says Thomas Tuchel after Southampton hit back

Published

2 years ago

August 31, 2022

As the second half leaked away and Chelsea haplessly chased a late equalising goal, Thomas Tuchel started pulling the levers. On came Christian Pulisic, then Armando Broja. Raheem Sterling continued to plug away on the left, Hakim Ziyech on the right, Mason Mount in the centre. Kai Havertz and Ruben Loftus-Cheek had already made way. Still there are those in the Chelsea hierarchy who reckon that somehow the solution to their current incontinence is a lack of attackers.

There were plenty of excuses for Chelsea to grasp at. There always are, if you want to find them. The absences of Reece James and N’Golo Kanté. The poor quality of the pitch. The chances created in the first half and the unrepeatable brilliance of Roméo Lavia’s game-changing equaliser. But the fact remains that this is still a brittle and skittish side, short on rhythm and inspiration, and one that appears to have completely mislaid the defensive stubbornness of the early Tuchel era.
Southampton 2-1 Chelsea, Fulham 2-1 Brighton, Leeds 1-1 Everton: football clockwatch – as it happened
The manager, to give him his due, seems to recognise this. “It is not a question of striker or no striker,” he said afterwards. “As a team we are not strong enough at the moment. It’s too easy to push us off track. Defending these goals has nothing to do with attack. You cannot prove it with data or body position or tactical positions. Just toughen up.”

If Chelsea were searching for inspiration, they had only to glance over the halfway line. Adam Armstrong scored the winning goal for Southampton but, as ever under Ralph Hasenhüttl, this was a collective effort by a young and hungry team who fight for every ball, press every opponent, counter-punch with energy and disrespect. The only blot on a near-flawless performance was an injury to Lavia, the Belgian teenager whose goal was the clear highlight of the evening.

It was crucially timed, too, coming after a bright Chelsea start in which Sterling could quite conceivably have had a hat-trick. But then this has always been the paradox of Sterling, a player who on bare numbers bears comparison with the great English forwards of his generation. That Sterling squanders plenty of shots is beyond doubt; what is less readily recognised is the sheer volume of shots he generates for himself through clever movement and a superior reading of the game.
Sterling misses the chances other forwards are not good enough to get. So it was again a quarter of the way in, as Romain Perraud slid in to scrape away Mason Mount’s cross, While Perraud hauled himself off the floor, Sterling had stayed on his feet, and took a look before passing the ball into the bottom corner. On a dispiriting night for Chelsea Sterling’s assurance was one of their few sources of encouragement.

There was a certain measure of shock to Southampton’s equaliser: a goal that in more ways than one seemed to come out of nowhere. Yet as James Ward-Prowse’s corner was cleared to the edge of the area, Lavia was able to pick his spot almost entirely unobstructed before putting a swerving shot past Édouard Mendy from 25 yards. “Soft, soft, soft,” was Tuchel’s verdict. “What stops that? Pure mentality.”

This was – lest we forget – a defence of César Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva and Kalidou Koulibaly. Experience and excellence are not in short supply and yet, as Armstrong put Southampton into the lead just before half time, these three internationals bearing a combined total of more than 200 international caps were again exposed. Perraud advanced up the left flank. Armstrong on the penalty spot had time to take a touch before smashing in the finish.
Naturally Chelsea sought to make the running after the break. There were desperate attacks, hopeful crosses, bobbling through-balls to nobody. What was lacking was structure and cohesion, the collective understanding that gains an extra half-yard. Indeed, it was Southampton who had the best chance of the second half, Mohamed Elyounoussi missed a golden opportunity with a stooping header from six yards.

There was no siege. There was no cavalry charge. There were no glaring sitters. Gavin Bazunu made a couple of routine saves but ultimately Southampton saw out the game in relative comfort. Would Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang or Anthony Gordon solve any of this? At full-time Tuchel gruffly shook Hasenhüttl’s hand before heading down the tunnel: a man who must know that Chelsea’s problems will be solved not in the transfer market but on the training ground.

Related Topics:Accessmagazine Accessnews AccessNewsMagazine news NewsUpdate

Up Next

Taliban celebrate anniversary of foreign withdrawal at former U.S. base

Don't Miss

Two teenagers confirmed dead in Jigawa canoe mishap

Derrick Bangura

Click to comment

Headlines

Commission, journalists partner to revamp water sector in Kaduna

Published

2 weeks ago

December 16, 2024

Saadatu Sahabo

The Kaduna State Water Services Regulatory Commission (KADWREC) says it is partnering media practitioners towards revamping water services in the state.

Mr Dogara Bashir, the Executive Chairman of KADWREC, disclosed this on Monday at a one-day workshop organised for media practitioners on regulation of ‘Water, Sanitation and Hygiene’ (WASH) activities held in Kaduna.

Bashir said the commission was aware of the importance of the role media practitioners played in the society.

He stated that the workshop was to provide an avenue to liaise with them as important stakeholders on water supply and sanitation services in the state.

Bashir said: “As media practitioners, we believe you are a gateway to the citizens so, the workshop would acquaint you with some of the regulations already in place so that you can in turn transmit it to the public

“The state of water services in Kaduna State is in dire need of attention and the State Water Corporation and KADWREC were established towards addressing the seeming challenges.

“The commission is mandated to ensure better service delivery and regulation of water and sanitation services in the State.

“The idea is that once the regulations are developed, we send them to the State Ministry of Justice to gazette and then we get the state government to endorse and give the go ahead to commence the implementation of the regulations

“We intend to implement them fully come January, 2025 God willing, as we have embarked on advocacy activities having gone to zones 1 and 2 where we talked to traditional rulers, security agencies and the Judiciary.”

He disclosed that a special Court has already been attached to the commission by the Chief Judge of the State for service providers who may likely violate regulations.

The chairman further said that amongst the commission’s objectives include ensuring security, reliability and quality of service in the production and delivery of water to the consumers as well making regulations to control the sinking of boreholes.

Others included; maximising access to water services by promoting and facilitating consumer connections to distribution systems in urban and rural areas.

According to Bashir, they also include ensuring that regulatory decision-making has regards to all the relevant health, safety, environmental and social legislation applying to the water sector.

Bashir further said that the commission collaborate with the relevant state and federal agencies on water policies.

Crime

2 ladies docked for allegedly obtaining money by fraud

Published

2 weeks ago

December 16, 2024

Saadatu Sahabo

The police in Lagos have dragged two women, Mmesuma Ofunna, and Blessing Adimekwe, before an Ojo Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, over alleged obtaining money by false pretence.

Ofunna, 22, and Adimekwe, 25, were arraigned before the Magistrate, Mr L K J Layeni, on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence, stealing and conduct likely to breach peace.

They each, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The prosecutor, ASP Simon Uche, told the court that the defendants conspired with others now at large, to commit the offence on Oct. 26 at the Okokomaiko area of Ojo.

He alleged that they had obtained the sum of N70, 000 from one Faith Ahamefule, with a promise not to post her nude photo on social media.

The prosecutor alleged that the defendants later posted the nude photo of the nominal complainant on social media, knowing that their promise was false.

He alleged that they stole the N70, 0000, thereby conducting themselves in a manner likely to breach public peace.

The offence contravenes the provisions of sections 168(d), 287, 314, and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

The court granted the defendants bails in the sum of N500, 000 each, with two sureties each in like sum.

He adjourned the case until Jan. 8, 2025 for mention.

Headlines

Driver jailed 6 months for attempting to steal a car

Published

2 weeks ago

December 16, 2024

Saadatu Sahabo

A Jos Magistrates’ Court on Monday, sentenced a 37-year-old driver, Ahmad Umar to six months in imprisonment for attempting to steal a car.

The Magistrate, Shawomi Bokkos, summarily tried and sentenced the convict after he pleaded guilty to the charge.

Bokkos in his judgment, ordered the convict to pay an option of N30, 000 fine or spend six months in prison.

Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp Ibrahim Gokwat, told the court that the case was reported on Oct. 10, at the Area Command Police station through a distress call by one Sydney Peacemorie the complainant.

Gokwat said the complainant parked his Toyota RAV4 in front of Access Bank and went inside to carry out some transactions, only to return to find the convict inside his car.

“The convict unlawfully opened the car and was in the driver’s seat when the complainant raised alarm and he was apprehended, but his accomplice escaped.

“The convict was severely beaten by a mob but was rescued by the police,” said Gokwat.

“The prosecutor said that the offence contravened the Plateau Penal Code Law.