Chelsea manager responds to criticism of post-Abramovich regime (VIDEO)

Thomas Tuchel was responding to remarks by Gary Neville

Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel used a press conference on Friday to defend the club's new owner Todd Boehly over accusations that he has been "panicky" in the transfer market and has acted almost like he is playing a football video game. 

American Boehly, who also part-owns Major League Baseball outfit the Los Angeles Dodgers, bought the west Londoners from Roman Abramovich for £4.5 billion ($5.4 billion) as a part of a consortium in May, after the Russian businessman was sanctioned for alleged links to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Marina Granovskaia soon followed Abramovich out of the Stamford Bridge exit door, which has left an inexperienced Boehly to act as a sporting director.

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On more than one occasion, he was shown up by his opposite number at FC Barcelona, Mateu Alemany, who beat him to the signings of Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Jules Kounde despite their former clubs already accepting an offer from the Blues in Raphinha's and Kounde's cases.

But it hasn't been all doom and gloom, with Boehly landing Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly, Gabriel Slonina and Carney Chukwuemeka in recent weeks, while also making Barca academy product Marc Cucurella the most expensive left-back of all time in a £62 million ($73.5 million) deal on Friday. 

Batting off accusations from Sky pundit Neville that Boehly has been "panicky" in the transfer market by casting his net far and wide, and "wants to play Football Manager" in reference to the popular video game, Tuchel leapt to the club owner's defense ahead of their season opener against Everton on Saturday. 

"No, I would describe it as super hard working and learning while on the job," Tuchel answered when asked if Boehly had indeed been panicking.