I CAN imagine it is really horrible to be the manager of Chelsea at the moment.

I genuinely felt sorry for Thomas Tuchel when I saw him answer question after question on Roman Abramovich and the club’s future.

Thomas Tuchel needs a break from all the questions about Roman Abramovich and RussiaCredit: GETTY

The German met his boss for the first time after Chelsea’s Champions League triumph over Manchester City last seasonCredit: GETTY

Chelsea lost last weekend’s Carabao Cup final on penalties to LiverpoolCredit: REX FEATURES

Tuchel is the boss. Russia’s conflict with Ukraine is a huge talking point around the globe.

He is the one of the few people who can be questioned on it on a weekly basis.

But like most of us, he doesn’t have all the answers and doesn’t always know what to say. Just give him a break. It is also unfair to be asking players about it.

As a player, the hardest thing is how you get the balance right.

Everyone will have their opinion on it. Some people will say good things some will say bad things.

But the biggest thing for me is that, regardless of what you believe or support, you have to show a level of respect to Abramovich because that man, for now, is your owner.

He pays your wages and allows you to financially look after your family whichever way you see fit.

If any of the Chelsea squad want to go on their social media and speak up about the situation in Ukraine, that’s fine.

But in a working capacity, if you ask players and managers to speak about an owner, it is a really difficult one.

The players who have been there the longest will probably be a bit sad, and this is the tricky part of where we are.

Like most of us, Tuchel doesn’t have all the answers and doesn’t always know what to say. Just give him a break.

Troy Deeney

With what’s going on in the world currently, that might not measure up to the man they know. They know Roman as their football owner who loves Chelsea.

They probably don’t know or haven’t seen the other side that is being spoken about.

I can understand then why the players may be torn and unsure of how to act in that respect.

Because a football club in England — especially one that is currently very successful — has never been put on the market in these circumstances.

Chelsea have been the most successful British club over the past two decadesCredit: GETTY

Abramovich has been there 19 years, that’s a long, long time. No matter which way you dress it up, rightly or wrongly, I think he will be missed.

At a lesser club, the players right now would probably be worried about their futures. Not at a club like Chelsea.

This isn’t a club in administration or going broke. This is a well-run, well functioned, profitable organisation. The revenue is there.

It is a really new and weird place to be in.

The one thing that will really be happening from a player’s perspective will be a lot of imagination.

Everyone will have an idea of what kind of owner they want.

Abramovich has been there 19 years, that’s a long, long time. No matter which way you dress it up, rightly or wrongly, I think he will be missed.

Troy Deeney

Realistically, with the price tag of the club being what it is, you’re not going to get a schmuck — they will know what they are doing.

The only worry for the players will be if a new owner brings change and wants to stamp his authority on a few things.

Could that mean a manager change? Possibly. Could that mean a couple of new players that affect your position? Possibly.

Are they going to get a different type of owner who isn’t as trigger happy in the transfer market, more someone who likes to balance the books like Arsenal’s Stan Kroenke?