Callum Hudson-Odoi didn’t do ‘much wrong’ and ‘would have had right hump’ at Thomas Tuchel as Chelsea boss’ cut-throat substitution is questioned

Thomas Tuchel’s decision to substitute Callum Hudson-Odoi in the draw with Southampton – despite only introducing him at half-time – would have given the Chelsea youngster ‘the right hump’.

That is according to West Brom striker Charlie Austin, who has told talkSPORT that he believes the Blues boss’ decision was too brutal on the 20-year-old as he didn’t do ‘much wrong’.

Eyebrows were raised when Hudson-Odoi was withdrawn in the 76th minute at St Mary’s following his half-time introduction, with talkSPORT host Tony Cascarino, among others, suggesting the tactical move from the new Blues boss was ‘too harsh’.

And Austin, speaking to talkSPORT, echoed those sentiments and said he would be livid if his manager had hooked him so soon after coming on.

“You are going to be annoyed,” the Drivetime guest co-host Adrian Durham.

“I don’t know Callum Hudson-Odoi personally, but I imagine the way he is and the way he conducts himself that he’ll be annoyed and quite furious for coming off.

“He didn’t do much wrong. He contributed to the penalty and the Chelsea lads need to get round him.

“It’s easy for the manager to say that he was happy and smiling the next day but he’s not going to say he caused all sort of problems.

“As a current player myself, I think he’d have the right hump.”

Tuchel explained his decision to substitute Hudson-Odoi ahead of Chelsea’s Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid in Bucharest and revealed he spoke to his whole squad about the situation.

“We decided to speak to him in front of the whole group because I had my reasons to do it,” Tuchel explained.

“Was it the right decision? I don’t know but it was my decision in this moment. For us in the group, we spoke as a whole group to not make it bigger than it is because for us it was not a big thing.

“I know that it could be sometimes and sometimes you reflect why you do it, should you do it because sometimes maybe the media and family make it bigger than it was meant. So I did it and we had the only reaction that we wanted.

“He went back to normal mood, to a good mood, to a smile, to training and the next day very, very good training and today. And that’s it.

“I already said after the game this was the decision for today, this was the lesson to learn from today for him and for me also and we go on and then it is forgotten.

“That is absolutely the way so in here at Cobham, between us, between us two, between me and the team business as usual and no big thing.”