Thomas Tuchel has told his goal-shy strikers he cannot give them an extended run in the team and wait for them to score as he explained why there is no time for patience at Chelsea.
The German's side host Atletico Madrid on Wednesday with a first-leg advantage courtesy of Olivier Giroud's spectacular strike in Bucharest.
But that is one of only three goals in Tuchel’s reign from players operating as the centre-forward, with the Frenchman scoring twice and Tammy Abraham, who is now injured, once.
Timo Werner has struck as a left winger but that is his only goal in his last 24 Premier and Champions League games while Kai Havertz, who has played in the middle of the attack in the last two matches, has not scored in his last 22 outings in those competitions.
Chelsea face Atletico without the suspended pair of Mason Mount and Jorginho, scorers of six of their 13 goals under Tuchel, and he admits it is “a little bit” of a worry that they are short of firepower in their absence.
Tuchel admitted he may make it harder for his forwards by constantly rotating his attack but argued they have to make an immediate impact.
“Maybe and then it is clearly my fault and I take that responsibility for changing but at the same time if we put a goalkeeper in goal we expect him to perform in that match and a defensive line-up, we expect them to have a clean sheet and not just one every three matches,” he said.
“If you arrive at the highest level, there is no time to perform. You are constantly in a competition with other players. There is no time to get four or five matches in a row to score regularly. It simply does not exist. This is not a secret.”
Tuchel used Saturday's 0-0 draw with Leeds to explain that Chelsea must become more clinical. He added: "The results are not so crazily bad that we ask if we did everything wrong. We create enough chances and half-chances and touches in the box to win games.
____________________________________________________________
Atletico 0 Chelsea 1: player ratings from first leg
____________________________________________________________
"We had by far enough to win in Leeds with two goals ahead. We expect our guys to create more chances and to be more decisive. Nobody here is blaming the strikers. We are not pointing fingers, in Cobham we blame no one, but we can clearly improve on finishing.”
Werner, who scored 34 goals for Leipzig last season, has been linked with a move to Borussia Dortmund but Tuchel refuted those reports. He said: “Stop reading, stop reading. Read a book [instead]. He has no reason now to frustrated because he had an amazing match against Liverpool. Maybe all the stuff you read will hopefully disappear soon.”
Tuchel was a Champions League finalist with Paris Saint-Germain last year, though he used his experience to argue that is no guarantee he will not be sacked.
“Every team that plays in the round of 16 is there to win the competition,” he said. “You are never totally safe as a coach, that is a given. I won silverware in France and it came to an end.”
Atletico were criticised for their defensiveness in the first leg but can pick from a stronger squad with Yannick Carrasco and Kieran Trippier available again.
Chelsea have only conceded twice in 12 games under Tuchel and the German has been impressed by the defensive resolve Atletico have sustained over many seasons.
He said: “I believe that every club has its DNA and characteristics and with Diego Simeone Atletico became one of the toughest clubs in Europe to beat over many years.”
