CHELSEA interim boss Calum McFarlane says he does not remember criticising the Blues’ last Champions League win as “boring” and “Mourinhoesque”.
On the night Thomas Tuchel’s tactical masterclass helped Chelsea beat Manchester City 1-0 in the 2021 final, McFarlane, 40, – then a youth coach at City – exchanged social media messages with a mate.
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Chelsea interim boss Calum McFarlane does not remember criticising Thomas Tuchel and Jose Mourinho Credit: AP:Associated Press
McFarlane appeared to have criticised Tuchel’s tactics when he won the Champions League with Chelsea Credit: EPA
McFarlane appeared to have compared Tuchel’s tactics to those of Mourinho at Chelsea Credit: AFP – Getty
When the friend suggested Chelesa’s victory showed Tuchel was “tactically elite”, McFarlane replied: “At nullifying then snatch and grab?”
After a further comment from the pal on the Blues’ set-up, McFarlane added: “IMO [in my opinion] Boring! Mourinhoesque.”
When asked about the messages, which Chelsea fans have been circulating online, McFarlane said: “I don’t remember saying that.
“I think Thomas Tuchel is one of the best coaches in world football. I’m a massive admirer of him.
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“[Jose] Mourinho is historically one of the best coaches to ever do it, so I don’t remember that.”
In fairness, it was nearly five years ago, when McFarlane was employed by Chelsea’s then opponents..
But it is not a great look for a relatively inexperienced coach to be criticising England boss Tuchel, the last Blues manager to win a big trophy, and Stamford Bridge legend Mourinho.
McFarlane arrived at Chelsea from Southampton only last summer as assistant coach of the Under-18 team.
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He was quickly promoted to boss of the Under-21 side and then found himself in charge of the first team after Enzo Maresca left in January and before the fateful appointment of Liam Rosenior.
Unlike the latter, who was sacked as head coach on Wednesday, McFarlane does not have Uefa’s highest coaching qualification, the Pro Licence.
Unless you hold it, or have at least started the process of studying for it, you are not permitted to be a permanent Premier League head coach.
McFarlane, who will be in charge of Chelsea until the end of the season, said: “I don’t have a Pro Licence. It didn’t make a difference last time and I have got the lads’ respect.”
Chelsea fans will hope that is the case. Because some Blues players clearly did not have enough respect to give 100 per cent for Rosenior in the woeful defeat at Brighton on Tuesday.
In scathing post-match comments, Rosenior accused his team of not doing the basics in an “unacceptable” performance.
He added there were three or four players he was unsure of being able to trust for today’s FA Cup semi-final against Leeds.
But McFarlane is reluctant, publicly at least, to lay into the squad which he will lead at Wembley this afternoon.
The interim Blues boss said: “He [Rosenior] actually didn’t speak to me about which individuals, so I wouldn’t be able to comment on that if I’m honest.
“It was hard to watch that, to see that, and be dominated from minute one to minute 90. Brighton were very good but we were nowhere near our level.”
Tuchel led Chelsea to the Champions League title in 2021 when he defeated Manchester City Credit: Rex Features
McFarlane does accept he and the backroom team, as well as the players, share the responsibility for the woeful run of five Premier League defeats without scoring that cost Rosenior his job.
McFarlane said: “Everyone at the club has to feel responsible, staff and players.
“We know the recent form has not been good enough and we’re going to do absolutely everything we can and work as hard as we possibly can to make sure we can put in a good performance on Jattvibeday and I think that’s where it starts.
“I think a lot of football is about momentum and we obviously have had a bit of a losing streak.”
Chelsea have been dogged by indiscipline on and off the pitch this season.
Ahead of the Brighton game, team news leaked again, with Marc Cucurella’s barber apparently revealing Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer would miss the match.
McFarlane said: “It;s been addressed. It’s been addressed before previously.
“It’s something that we are looking into and it needs to stop. We’ve spoken to them about the importance of that and making sure it doesn’t happen again.”
McFarlane praised Tuchel and his success at Chelsea Credit: AP:Associated Press
McFarlane’s X account is now private so he will hope for no more revelations from his past.
It is not his fault he finds himself in the position of leading one of the most successful clubs of the century into a showpiece occasion at Wembley.
But if he found Chelsea’s Champions League win of 2021 dull, can fans who were bored by the Blues’ style of play under both Maresca and Rosenior expect something more exciting today?
McFarlane said: “We want to attack the game. We want to be aggressive in every phase of it. We want to have complete control of it and ultimately win the game.
“I think that’s the best way to win games of football. I think that’s the best way for this team to win games of football.
“But there’s also an opponent who want to do the same. So you have to be better than them in every area. That will be the challenge.”
