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Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has shared his thoughts on new signing Saul following the midfielder's poor performance in the 3-0 win against Aston Villa.
Saul started the game over Jorginho but was subbed off in the second-half for the Italian following a poor performance. The Spaniard looked off the pace and was unable to adapt to the tempo and physicality of the game.
Thomas Tuchel addressed the media after Chelsea's game and was asked about the midfielder's struggles and why he took Saul off at half-time. He explained:
"It was a hard decision. He was struggling and I take responsibility for that. I put him into a difficult match after the international break and it was hard for him to adapt to the physicality and, in general, I had the feeling he struggled with the intensity and pressing with Aston Villa."
"It was also hard for him to adapt to our system and principles. So we thought, to give a bit more stability, we would change the shape to 5-3-2 in the second half with Jorginho. It was a tough one but he can accept that it is my responsibility and it's maybe also normal," Tuchel added.
"In training, it looked like he had no problem to adapt but that's training. The game was very intense today because that is what Aston Villa made of it. The guy struggled a bit, there were some easy ball losses which is very, very unusual for him. That is why we decided before he lost more confidence that we make the change," concluded the Chelsea boss.
Saul joined Chelsea on loan from Atletico Madrid on Deadline Day. The Spaniard saw his playing time at Atleti drastically reduced last season which led the club to allow his departure before the transfer window closed.
Saul could be key to Chelsea's title challenge
Thomas Tuchel will hope Saul does not take too long to adapt to the Premier League. The Spaniard has been touted as one of the world's best midfielders over the years and has shown his quality for both Spain and Atletico Madrid over the last decade.
If the Spaniard does manage to find his feet at Chelsea, a midfield of him, Jorginho and N'Golo Kante are sure to help the club challenge for the Premier League title and defend their Champions League crown.
