Everything is missing, Thomas Tuchel said in Zagreb. And he’s right. Common sense, logic, the owner’s marbles, all have been lost at Chelsea this season.
This sacking, we are told, is not about results. And it can’t be about results because Chelsea’s, while not perfect, are pretty much as expected for a squad of players emerging from a drastic rebuild.
Of the 16 used in Croatia on Tuesday night, five were summer signings including a striker making his debut, the goalkeeper was a reserve, the left back had returned from serious injury at the start of this season, and the substitute forward is freshly back from a season on loan at Southampton and has featured for 101 minutes, with no starts.