After five defeats from nine games, Tuchel’s arrival begged for solidity in defence.
And boy did he deliver.
His first goal was simple, and smart. Make Chelsea hard to beat. Build solid foundations from the back-forward, to make Chelsea a team others hate to play. Despite having some of the most exciting young attackers from Europe in recent seasons, he focused on the opposite end of the pitch. Twelve clean sheets in 14 games against a number of teams like Liverpool, Athletico Madrid, Everton, and Tottenham. They’ve also won ten of these and not lost one. In this time, they’ve conceded two goals. Two.
On top of this, he was airdropped into a fractious dressing room post-Lampard. But he, and others, have spoken freely since about the new “positive energy” and “confidence” they play and conduct themselves with.
It goes without saying this makes a big difference, which is seen when even Christian Pulisic, super star under Tuchel at Dortmund, has said that he hasn’t been bothered predominantly featuring from the bench. He trusts in his coach, the team, and yes, the process.
This comes partly down to a difference in style as well. Under Lampard, there was his core group of coaches who knew what was going on, and everyone else fell out the loop a bit. Under Tuchel, he makes sure everyone knows what’s going on. For example, before dropping regular starting keeper Eduoard Mendy, he had spoken both to Mendy and his replacement. They both understood this was just for one game, they were all on the same page and involved. Which simply goes a long way to helping people feel involved and appreciated. This was perhaps best seen last game, when the injured Mount, Silva and Rafhina cheered on their team to the next round of the Champions League. They screamed and shouted from the bleachers all the way in a scene you’d have been hard pressed to find under Lampard. Tuchel had a fractured dressing room, no time to think or space to breathe, and he has done this well.
As well as behind the scenes, the simple numbers point to Tuchel’s brilliance too. From around 1.5points a game under Lampard, they’re now on 2.2points a game - which, across 38 games, tends to be enough to win the league. But of course, the honeymoon period can’t last forever. But to be honest, when it comes to an end, I think the rest of the Premier League should be worried.
A number of managers, who have been here since the start of the season, have been complaining about lack of time on the training ground. It’s a huge impact on teams, now more than ever. But imagine the case for a manager who joined late-rainy January to an entirely new backroom, with only two assistants, his family back in Paris. He’s got the cards stacked against him, put lightly. So imagine, once things settle, that Tuchel gets an entire summer with these players. An entire summer with this squad to really try and carve something out, to build on Lampard’s best work (youngsters) and add to that with his own technical style and play.
Put simply, it’s a bit terrifying.
And put simply they’re likely the second-best club in England, and looking over the long term, perhaps a challenge to Pep’s dominance.
Under Tuchel, you don’t just have a better atmosphere, nor the Premier League’s best defence, you also have some attackers who promise to terrify. Admittedly, right now, they’re not firing on all cylinders. But, you have Hakim Ziyech who was apart of my favourite Ajax team who ran the Champions League ragged two years ago. Christian Pulisic, apart of the slightly terrifying new boom of USMNST who are growing up playing in Europe. And Timo Werner, who got 28 goals and 8 assists in the Bundesliga for Leverkusen last season. One specific issue he faces, if he can’t get his attackers firing, is to plug the hole with a No.9 (stay away from Haaland), but in terms of attractiveness Chelsea look better right now than they have in a while.
As I said, these players aren’t firing on all cylinders, yet. They were scoring more with Lampard. They were conceding and losing more too. But, if anyone can get Chelsea to reach their ceiling of talent, it might just be Thomas Tuchel.
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