Bengaluru, April 10: Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger has apparently criticised manager Antonio Conte's tactics and hit out at his Chelsea team-mates for failing to kill yet another game after the Blues dropped points at home in the 1-1 draw with West Ham United.
Out of 20 games in 2018, Chelsea have won only six and drew seven times in the process, which has sent them out of UEFA Champions League spots on the Premier League table. They were also dumped from the EFL Cup semi-final and are currently placed fifth on the table, 10 points adrift of Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur with six games left to play.
'FA Cup won't save Chelsea's season'
Chelsea also scored first against Spurs in the London derby two weeks ago but later conceded thrice to lose the game.
Antonio Rudiger says he 'doesn't understand' why #CFC continue to invite pressure on themselves once they are ahead in games 😬 pic.twitter.com/DoNG5ZkkWh
— Breathe Chelsea (@BreatheChels) April 9, 2018
In the past weekend, Antonio Conte's side made similar mistakes against West Ham when they failed to hold onto to the 1-0 lead. Cesar Azpilicueta put the Blues ahead in the game and there were plenty of chances in the match for Chelsea to double their lead. However, the Blues attackers could not find the back of the net and the team eventually conceded a goal from Hammers' forward Javier Hernandez to draw the game 1-1.
Following the game, centre-back Rudiger, who played the full 90 minutes has taken a dig at his manager's tactics and also suggested he is unimpressed with his team’s forward line for failing to click against David Moyes' West Ham.
"I think we begged for the goal, and in the second half, or even in the first half we could have finished the game, but like the last few months we couldn't, and we conceded at the end," Rudiger told Sky Sports.
"It's not easy to explain, I don't understand after we go 1-0 up why we always drop off and let our opponents come onto us.
"We could have done better, of course, we gave them a gift, it was the first clear chance they had and they scored.
"The thing is we have to start playing good football and winning games, because if we don't do that we cannot get in the top four."
Antonio Rudiger is that main man.
— HummusGod🇸🇩🇬🇧 (@SudaniGod) April 9, 2018
He deserves respect for speaking out about our shit manager & his classless tactics.
Never lies always straight up, on some gangsta shit. #CFC
This draw has killed Chelsea's hopes of securing a top-four finish in the Premier League. However, they still could land silverware this season when they will visit Southampton in the FA Cup semi-final this month.