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The Tuchel Thread


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30 minutes ago, MoroccanBlue said:

Incredibly debatable.  And I thought out of all of our attacking combinations, Havertz, Werner and CHO looked the most fluid. 

 

27 minutes ago, Stats said:

I thought James was brilliant tonight. Such a beast. CHO is more offensive but James is better defensively and although CHO crossing is good, James crossing for me is better. Both put in top crosses against United that should have been converted tbh. Chilwell also against Liverpool was very effective and I prefer his pace.

I guess it's about balance and depends on opponent. One offensive type Alonso/CHO and one defensive type Chilwell/James are going to play most times. 

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‘If you trust them you have to let them play’ – Is Tuchel the new Tinkerman?

https://theathletic.com/2435879/2021/03/09/if-you-trust-them-you-have-to-let-them-play-is-tuchel-the-new-tinkerman/

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Chelsea’s new coach Thomas Tuchel continues to enjoy keeping everyone guessing.

There are not many managers who will secure an impressive 1-0 victory at Liverpool — it’s still an achievement regardless of the woeful run the defending champions are on — and then make five changes for their next game. One of those was the goalscorer and arguably Chelsea’s best player at Anfield, Mason Mount, who had to settle for a place on the bench.

If you’re struggling to name Tuchel’s best XI right now, it’s understandable. As the former Paris Saint-Germain manager admits, he doesn’t have one in his head at the moment.

The Athletic asked him outright after Chelsea had secured another comfortable victory, this time a 2-0 triumph over Liverpool’s neighbours and fellow top-four challengers, Everton.

As we have begun to expect, the answer from Tuchel was long and detailed: “If you play in competitions like the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup there is no way you have (only) 11 players in your head.

“First of all, whoever you see on the pitch deserves to be on the pitch and we need to analyse what we give in there. We cannot just keep players on the pitch to keep them going.

“Sometimes it is like this, but after two intense games, and away games with a lot of travelling where we missed a lot of sleep between Atletico Madrid, Manchester United and Liverpool, it was the moment to change.

“We changed also a little bit because of the characteristic of the offensive players because we expected a bit of man-marking in offensive midfield so we went for speed and for deep runs.

“I want to have the choice and when I have the choice sometimes it is a tactical decision. For (the selection of) Kurt Zouma it was simply well, well deserved and Toni (Rudiger) needed, in my personal opinion, a little break because he played in such a high, intensive concentration level, it was outstanding.

“So there is a reason for every change and you cannot just say I trust you guys. If you trust them you have to let them play. This is the best situation we did not lose quality at all. Everybody feels it and they can play at a high level.”

Tuchel’s philosophy is being rewarded at the moment. In the 11 games he has taken charge of, the German has made 53 changes to his starting line-up, which works out as an average of nearly five per fixture. Despite the chopping and changing, the team boast a record of eight wins and three draws.

Now it should be highlighted that in Frank Lampard’s final 11 games as coach, he made 59 alterations in all, six more than Tuchel. But there were mitigating reasons for his higher total: there was a dead rubber in the Champions League group stage against Krasnodar, FA Cup ties against lower league opposition in Morecambe and Luton Town, plus a busy Christmas fixture schedule. The Englishman was also on a bad run in the Premier League having lost five out of eight games and was frantically looking for solutions to stay in a job.

But there is a significant difference between the choices made by these two men. What makes Tuchel’s actions so extraordinary is Chelsea are on a great run and yet he continues to ignore the adage “never change a winning team”.

It brings back memories of the first coach to work for owner Roman Abramovich, Claudio Ranieri. The Italian was in charge between 2000-04 and got to work for only one season under the Russian multi-billionaire. He was nicknamed “The Tinkerman” at Stamford Bridge because of his tendency to change the first XI on a regular basis even if his side had won.

But Tuchel’s decision making continues to pay off. The closest he has come to naming the same XI in consecutive matches was early on when he opted to make one alteration from the group that beat Burnley 2-0 for the 1-0 triumph at Tottenham. Tammy Abraham, not for the first time under Lampard’s successor, was the unfortunate victim that day as Reece James was brought in so Callum Hudson-Odoi could be pushed further forward rather than operate from right wing-back.

The intimidating schedule over the past fortnight of Atletico Madrid, Manchester United, Liverpool and Everton has seen Tuchel make 15 adaptions since the 1-1 draw at Southampton.

They keep paying off. Few predicted Kai Havertz, who hadn’t started for Tuchel since his first game against Wolves, would play a full 90 minutes against Everton, often operating as a false nine for others to run off. It was his shot that led to Ben Godfrey’s own goal and his run that won a penalty after Jordan Pickford brought him down. Chelsea’s expensive recruit also had a strike disallowed for handball.

There have been suggestions that Tuchel is merely trying to use as many players as possible to avoid the same issues as Lampard had in keeping a large squad happy and also to inject some value back into fringe members of the squad ahead of a possible summer sale.

Even if there is an element of truth to either theory, it still doesn’t detract from the consistent manner of Chelsea’s performances since he took over. They look well organised and well-drilled regardless of who is playing.

There will still be individuals not too happy about their predicament: Christian Pulisic, Billy Gilmour, Emerson and Abraham to name just four. But unlike what was happening under Lampard, the message is being sent out that everyone potentially has a role to play.

As captain Cesar Azpilicueta explained to BT Sport: “It’s a collective mindset. When you’re playing for Chelsea, it’s one of the top clubs in the world and you have to fight for a place. There is nothing easy. When you step on the pitch and the manager gives you a chance, you have to be at your best.

“In every training session, even if you don’t play, everybody trains very hard. That is why when the changes come everybody is ready for it. We have the same idea, we play collectively. Sometimes we adapt to a different system or in the same system we have different players which means there is a different style of play. But the most important thing is we are thinking in the same way.” 

Tuchel’s reasoning has still to be tested in adversity. Chelsea have trailed for only 21 minutes since he has been at the helm. It is a lot easier to act this way and for players to go along with your rotation policy when there are victories to show for it.

As the pursuit of a top-four finish and success in the Champions League and FA Cup intensifies, individuals will be less enamoured with being left out of the big games.

But if the Chelsea squad can’t predict the line-up then neither can their opponents. Tuchel seems one step ahead of everyone right now.

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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-9345993/Frank-Lampard-similar-job-Thomas-Tuchel-claims-Glen-Johnson.html#

 

Frank Lampard 'could have done a similar job to Thomas Tuchel', claims Glen Johnson -who tells Chelsea players to 'have a look at themselves' for turnaround in form since former PSG boss took charge

  • HAHAHAHAHAHAH!
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27 minutes ago, NikkiCFC said:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-9345993/Frank-Lampard-similar-job-Thomas-Tuchel-claims-Glen-Johnson.html#

Frank Lampard 'could have done a similar job to Thomas Tuchel', claims Glen Johnson -who tells Chelsea players to 'have a look at themselves' for turnaround in form since former PSG boss took charge

  • HAHAHAHAHAHAH!

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It's fucking ridiculous how these English pundits seem incapable of looking beyond the surface when it comes to analysis. Either they are just dumb or want turn to a blind eye to avoid criticizing their mates

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4 minutes ago, Jason said:

200.gif

It's fucking ridiculous how these English pundits seem incapable of looking beyond the surface when it comes to analysis. Either they are just dumb or want turn to a blind eye to avoid criticizing their mates

95% of pundits are laughing stock. For me what people say on this forum has bigger value.

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The Telegraph

Wednesday March 10 2021

Matt Law's Chelsea briefing

 
Matt Law
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Tuchel's reign is off to stunning start - but his long-term fate depends on how his side react to adversity

By Matt Law,
Football News Correspondent

Hours after Thomas Tuchel had completed his 11th match unbeaten in charge of Chelsea, a video clip of the German shouting at Timo Werner circulated on social media.

Translated from his native tongue, Tuchel was overheard castigating Werner in the 26th minute of Chelsea’s 2-0 victory over Everton while the game was still goalless.

Tuchel shouted: “Timo, how much longer do you play left? You play right. You've played left for 15 minutes. Do you not understand?”

The reaction to the clip was a good illustration of how results influence perception. Following a victory that put Chelsea into the box seat for Champions League qualification, Tuchel’s outburst and Werner’s apparent inability to carry out instructions was seen as little more than something to smile about.

But turn the situation on its head and imagine Chelsea had just completed an 11th game without a victory, or even just suffered their first defeat under Tuchel, and the exchange would no doubt have been viewed differently.

This is why, past acknowledging he has done an excellent job in reviving Chelsea’s season, it remains difficult to judge Tuchel and assess his long-term prospects until he and his players have experienced a defeat.

Should Chelsea avoid defeat at Leeds United on Saturday, then Tuchel will have equalled Luiz Felipe Scolari’s 12-game unbeaten start to his Blues reign, while Maurizio Sarri started with 18 games without defeat, depending on whether or not you count the Community Shield loss to Manchester City.

Sarri’s unique approach, which looked like genius during his first 18 games, quickly became the subject of ridicule and he left after one season in charge, while Scolari was sacked after just seven months in charge amid accusations the dressing room had turned on him.

Chelsea have only fallen behind in one game under Tuchel, the match against Southampton in which they secured a draw, so it is still very difficult to assess how he and his team will react to adversity - something they did not deal with well under Frank Lampard earlier this season.

There is no way, for instance, that Werner will make an issue of Tuchel’s public show of frustration with him while Chelsea are marching up the table and beating their rivals.

It is normally only when results turn, as was the case following 17 games unbeaten under Lampard, that we find out whether or not players had been bottling up any disappointment or anger.

Tuchel has already displayed an ability to manage with both the carrot and the stick, as we saw when Callum Hudson-Odoi was substituted on and back off again against Southampton before starting in the Champions League victory over Atletico Madrid.

And Tuchel has been more than fair to Werner, who he has continued to back, both through his words (away from the touchline) and actions, despite the fact the forward has now scored just one goal in 19 Premier League games.

It was absolutely vital that Chelsea started strongly under Tuchel and his achievement in going 11 games unbeaten is arguably already better than the starts made by Scolari and Sarri because it has been done in the middle of the season when the team were in a bad run.

Unlike Tuchel, Scolari and Sarri had enjoyed a pre-season in which to work with their players, while Tuchel stepped straight off a plane from Paris and on to the touchline for his first game in charge against Wolverhampton Wanderers, having only been able to take one training session.

We now know that Tuchel is a good winner, like all managers, but until we find out what type of loser he is then it is hard to know whether or not the 47-year-old is likely to last significantly longer than Sarri and Scolari.

Get in touch on Twitter @Matt_Law_DT or by emailing [email protected]

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Us under Tuchel vs:

Top Half Teams:
W Spurs
D Man Utd
W Liverpool
W Everton

Bottom Half Teams:
D Wolves
W Burnley
W Sheffield Utd
W Newcastle
D Southampton
D Leeds

4 of the next 5 PL games are against bottom half teams.

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We are not conceding any goals. 2 in 12 games and one is OG and one is when Zouma played in the middle which should never happened.

Our problems are easily fixable. We have enough talent upfront to score a goal. We still need to find that lineup because we have no idea who are our 3 starters up front.

This is why he is constantly changing because no one of 8 attacking players is saying with his performances: I should start every week.

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2 minutes ago, NikkiCFC said:

This is why he is constantly changing because no one of 8 attacking players is saying with his performances: I should start every week.

CHO/Havertz/Werner was the most fluid attack I've seen so far in this system. Kovacic needs to be in midfield however for that front three to work properly so Havertz doesn't have to drop too deep. 

I want to see more of that. Hopefully we do in these next run of PL games. 

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5 minutes ago, NikkiCFC said:

Our problems are easily fixable. We have enough talent upfront to score a goal. We still need to find that lineup because we have no idea who are our 3 starters up front.

This is why he is constantly changing because no one of 8 attacking players is saying with his performances: I should start every week.

But on the other hand, is the constant chopping and changing actually helping us or being a detriment to us? Let's not forget that we criticized Lampard for basically doing the same thing earlier. Tuchel has admittedly given the players better clarity, clear tactical instructions on what to do but it's hard for the players to develop any sort of understanding or chemistry if we're constantly changing the front 3. Plus, it also doesn't help that all our attacking players are young and not the finished article. It's not like 10-12 years ago when we had players at their peak and they could just come in and immediately make an impact.

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I think Tuchel will also realize that he needs Giroud as short term solution this season. His goals has been decisive last season and can be again. 

Olie has goals in him, we saw it many times, lately against Atletico. I expect him to play much more next two months.

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38 minutes ago, Jason said:

Us under Tuchel vs:

Top Half Teams:
W Spurs
D Man Utd
W Liverpool
W Everton

Bottom Half Teams:
D Wolves
W Burnley
W Sheffield Utd
W Newcastle
D Southampton
D Leeds

4 of the next 5 PL games are against bottom half teams.

Worth pointing out that in the 3 games that we failed to score under Tuchel (Wolves, Man Utd and Leeds), the front 3 selection all comprised of players who are slow/prefer ball to feet/not going to make runs in behind to stretch teams.

Wolves - Ziyech-Giroud-Havertz
Man Utd - Ziyech-Giroud-Mount
Leeds - Ziyech-Havertz-Mount

At least one of Werner/Pulisic/CHO is needed in the front 3. 

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4 minutes ago, MoroccanBlue said:

Ziyech being the common denominator...

TBF, he did play at Liverpool along with Mount and Werner and at least he had Werner to make the runs and play passes to. God knows about the other 3 games though.

Otherwise in terms of his performances, he hasn't done much at all. 

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14 minutes ago, Jason said:

Worth pointing out that in the 3 games that we failed to score under Tuchel (Wolves, Man Utd and Leeds), the front 3 selection all comprised of players who are slow/prefer ball to feet/not going to make runs in behind to stretch teams.

Wolves - Ziyech-Giroud-Havertz
Man Utd - Ziyech-Giroud-Mount
Leeds - Ziyech-Havertz-Mount

At least one of Werner/Pulisic/CHO is needed in the front 3. 

 

12 minutes ago, MoroccanBlue said:

Ziyech being the common denominator...

Also Chilwell played in 3 of 4 draws under Tuchel. Not blaming him ofc but he did had chances to score against Wolves and today.

Him and Ziyech should be away from starting 11.

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