Sandwiched between two massive fixtures, in the shape of the two legs of our Champions League semi-final with Real Madrid, Tuchel made changes to his side in order to keep some players rested, as well as give others a chance.
Having seen his rotated side win with a clean sheet and picking up no further injury concerns, he feels it was the best possible way to prepare for our second leg against the Spaniards.
‘It was a perfect game, in that respect,’ he said. ‘I’m absolutely happy and the team gets full credit for this game. This was a big win. Now we arrive with a clear mind, we have nothing to regret and nothing else to think about except Wednesday’s game.’
He was also full of praise for one of those who came into the starting line-up against Fulham, Kai Havertz, as he scored both our goals and showed exactly the attitude Tuchel was looking for.
‘There is still room for improvement from him, but for today I’m very happy, of course, because he was decisive, he was involved together with Timo as double-strikers, and with Mason and Hakim as the four offensive guys. He was always involved in dangerous attacks and in dangerous situations.
‘For me he is the individual example of what was good about the players on the pitch today who maybe had a tough decision go against them last Tuesday. Kai did not play with the attitude of thinking “now they need me” and “I wanted to have more time in Madrid” and “why do I only play now against Fulham?”. That was absolutely not the case.
‘He took his chance, he showed up, and this is what we need all the time, but especially in situations like this. We need guys who are fully committed. That means if you have a chance then you show up. If you have five minutes, 15 minutes or a whole game, show that you are ready and give the manager a headache for the next game. That is what he did and it is an example of what the whole team did. That’s why they get full credit from me.’
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