Using the form of ‘tough love’ as a coach, parent, or a teacher can often be a very useful way of dealing with certain people. Whilst it may not always be the answer for some, others will respond to it very well.
The way Thomas Tuchel is publicly asking Callum Hudson-Odoi for more right now and demanding he prove that he is good enough for a run of games in this Chelsea team, can certainly be described as ‘tough love’.
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And as things stand right now, Hudson-Odoi is showing his maturity in his response to Tuchel’s public comments, and he is doing and saying all the right things and reacting in the best possible way.
He has been doing a lot of his talking on the pitch, especially against Norwich City on Saturday when he was heavily involved in making three goals for Chelsea in the first half putting them out of reach of their opponents already. He also had a good game against Southampton a few weeks back when he was handed another rare start.
But all along Tuchel has been asking for more consistency, and more goals and assists from his 20-year old protégé, and you can just see that he rates him and he is willing him on the prove to him that he is good enough.
Hudson-Odoi even agrees with Tuchel with his public comments in response to Tuchel coaching him and speaking to him before games recently.
“It was good the sort of instructions that he gave to me, playing in that position – to be free, to do what you do, and try to make things happen,” Hudson-Odoi said after the Norwich game, as reported by The Evening Standard.
“It was very influential for me. It was good.
“You have got to prove it to yourself as well, keep on doing your stuff. When you are playing, every game, you have got to show yourself and show how capable you are of playing and doing it every game, show consistency and put in a good performance to show that you are worthy of playing in the team.”
Very wise and mature comments from Hudson-Odoi, who certainly now does deserve a run of matches in the Chelsea first team playing in his best position.
