The Tuchel Transition

 Chelsea FC have taken part in the managerial merry-go-round once again by sacking Frank Lampard and bringing in Thomas Tuchel on an 18-month contract. This decision caused a split amongst the Chelsea fans as to whether Lampard should have been given more time or whether the club made the right decision to replace him. In any event, Thomas Tuchel does have a difficult few months ahead of him in order to steer Chelsea in the right direction for the rest of the season.

Tuchel’s first priority has to be the integrating of the new members of the squad as well as getting the to perform at the highest level, while also contributing to the team’s success. These include the likes of Timo Werner, Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech. These three are the new signings who are having the most underwhelming seasons out of the new signings. Tuchel’s style of play, as well as his tactical aptitude does show that he can get the best out of these players. His tactical adaptability also allows for these players to be used in different roles than they were being used under Lampard.

Chelsea’s owner and the board of directors have put in a lot of work, money and negotiations into the acquisition of these players. It is crucial that Tuchel does his best to get the best out of these new recruits, a task that may be a reason as to why Lampard was relieved of his duties. Tuchel does speak German, French and English so there are no language barrier issues when it comes to getting his ideas across to his players. As a German, there is hope that he can get the best out of Werner and Havertz, two of Germany’s brightest talents. 

Tuchel also has the job of keeping a very large squad of players happy and on form for the rest of the season. In the first two games of his tenure, he has not conceded a goal, which is a feat last achieved by Rafael Benitez, another mid-season managerial change. He has also included players in both his starting elevens that did not frequently feature for Lampard. The likes of Marcos Alonso, Cesar Azpilicueta and Jorginho, just to name a few. It is important that Tuchel tries to find a balance with these players that have been marginalized and give them a new breath of life in their Chelsea career.

It is not just the marginalized players that require the attention but also the youth at the club. There are many of Chelsea’s academy graduates that were brought through by Lampard and they owed a lot of their current, personal success to him. Many of them were very saddened by the news of his departure and it is only natural to think they may not have been pleased with the decision. This is something that Tuchel must be aware of and try to nurture these players in a similar manner. Mason Mount, Reece James, Callum Hudson-Odoi all have great potential and Tuchel needs to gain the trust of the young players since they are important to the success and future success of the club.

Luckily for Tuchel, he does have players in the squad whom he has worked with before, such as Thiago Silva and Christian Pulisic. Tuchel was the coach that gave Pulisic his debut for Dortmund and Pulisic does speak highly of him. Thiago Silva also worked with Tuchel as recently as last season as they both went to the Champions League final with PSG. The youth of Pulisic and the experience of Thiago Silva will be crucial for Tuchel in getting his message across and being able to motivate his players.

The most difficult task for Tuchel is to win a trophy this season. It is clear that the board’s expectations were not being met under Lampard. It is up for debate whether this team can win a trophy based on the performances this season but the culture of Chelsea over the years has shown that a squad as deep, expensive and as talented as the current one should be challenging for at least one trophy. Tuchel does have a stretch of Premier League matches to build on as the teams above them in the table seem to be fading away. He also has a favorable draw in the FA Cup. The main talking point for the board is definitely the Champions League tie against Atletico Madrid. Chelsea’s squad should be challenging for all the trophies and the board’s view is clear. The money spent needs positive results.

It may not be realistic to expect Chelsea to win a trophy after such a poor showing for most of the season. However, the Champions League returns this month and it can be viewed as a fresh start for Chelsea. Tuchel’s most recent run in the competition is reason for high expectations from the board and the fans.

He has divided opinion amongst the fan base but if he is to gain an extension to his contract then he needs to get the results to delight the fans, players and the board. His time at Chelsea, as with many managers before him, will be measured by the trophies he can win with this group of players and by his drive to push the club to the stature that the squad suggests they should have.

Brandon Salick