THE HANDSHAKE this time was merely frosty.
Made on the move by Thomas Tuchel to Jesse Marsch as he headed to the Elland Road tunnel.
Leeds boss Marsch seemed to flip his hand, as if to say he wasn’t bothered by the rather dismissive nature that surrounded the after match tradition on this occasion.
Tuchel began the afternoon full of the fire and brimstone he usually brings to Premier League touchlines.
By the end he was just a smouldering presence doused by the crashing wave of emotion that filled Elland Road and translated itself to the Leeds players.
In the opposite technical area it was Marsch all whirling dervish, getting his players, the crowd everyone going.
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A star spangled display from an underestimated coach who is doing some special things with this club at the moment – seven points from three games and it should be nine.
He wasn’t going to be intimidated by his opposite number Tuchel nor his players by their opponents on the pitch.
After the furious bust up between the Chelsea boss and Tottenham’s Antonio Conte last weekend, Tuchel looked like he wanted more.
There was just seven minutes on the clock in fact when he took offence at Marsch waving an imaginary card in the referee’s direction.
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The Leeds boss wanted a booking for Ruben Loftus Cheek after his hefty barge into Pascal Struijk.
Tuchel went towards him mocking his card waving motion, the fourth official had to make sure the incident did not escalate.
Perhaps the frustration from the previous weekend had not gone away.
After all his Chelsea side had dominated Tottenham for a good hour of their London derby.
They were excellent, and Spurs were lucky to get something out of it.
SPURRED ON
The chance for maximum points from their first two games snatched from Chelsea’s grasp in the sixth minute of injury time by Harry Kane.
Maybe that took more out of his team and himself than he could have estimated.
In a recent interview Brighton boss Graham Potter said it took him 48 hours to recover from a Premier League game.
It makes you wonder how long Tuchel has to spend lying in a dark room after occasions like last weekend and Stamford Bridge.
The problem is that this afternoon will be keeping him awake for a good few days given the nature in which his team lost.
LEEDING THEM ON
Indeed through most of the second-half the manager reflected his team, as they so often can – he looked beaten.
Chelsea have better players than Leeds, but Leeds really wanted this.
Sir Alex Ferguson used to tell his team when up against inferior opposition that if they match them for fight their superior talent would win the day.
Chelsea didn’t, too easily bullied out the game.
Without a recognised striker, the few chances created were wasted.
Only in injury time did Tuchel snap back into full Tuchel ranting at the fourth official about a challenge.
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It was all too late. The game had long gone.
A shaking of hands soon became a shaking of Marsch’s fists towards an ecstatic Elland Road crowd.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
