'It is super hard to play the pitch' - Thomas Tuchel bemoans conditions after Chelsea's draw with Leeds United

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel bemoaned the state of the Elland Road pitch after his Chelsea side were held to a 0-0 draw by Leeds United.
GOALLESS DRAW - Leeds United held Chelsea to a 0-0 draw at Elland Road. Pic: Bruce RollinsonGOALLESS DRAW - Leeds United held Chelsea to a 0-0 draw at Elland Road. Pic: Bruce Rollinson
GOALLESS DRAW - Leeds United held Chelsea to a 0-0 draw at Elland Road. Pic: Bruce Rollinson

Leeds had the top surface of the pitch relaid at the end of January, spending £300,000 on a hybrid surface they acquired from Tottenham Hotspur.

In the initial games the surface caused issues for the Whites and their various visitors, with players slipping over with frequency.

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For the visit of Chelsea despite heavy rainfall, there were fewer slips and falls yet Tuchel made a point of highlighting the difficulty of playing on it.

"It is super hard to play the pitch," he said.

"Very slippery and bouncy. It was not so nice to play and the pitch is not in good condition - this is a factor. We have to live with a draw. I think it was a very difficult conditions but we accepted all difficulties."

Tuchel, still unbeaten since he arrived at Chelsea, refused to be critical of his side for failing to make a breakthrough against Leeds.

"We had a couple of chances to go 1-0 ahead but they trouble you and pressure you," he said.

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"You ned to make a goal for belief. Sometimes it is like this. I don't want to be too harsh. As long as we have chances and touches in the box and don't concede too many chances the results will be there. We need to accept this.

"We had enough chances to score. It was an OK game, sometimes it is hard to score. It is not that you get what you wish for and we have to keep on working hard and be more precise in the opponents' box.

"Our timing in the last 20 minutes - we need to be more clinical. We invest a lot against the ball so also we were tired when we arrived in good positions."

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