After beating Liverpool 1-0 at home, there seems to be a more positive atmosphere around Stamford Bridge. That’s in spite of Chelsea’s half-hearted limp towards the end of the season as the Blues currently sit 5th in the league, 25 points behind champions, Manchester City. It’s sad that Antonio Conte’s reign has gone from Premier League winner to Europa League qualifier but that’s all set to end come the summer, as Thomas Tuchel looks set to replace the Italian.
Here’s how Thomas Tuchel could transform Chelsea.
The Italian will be leaving West London after this season due to a number of high-profile fallouts. It’s reported that the 48-year-old’s relations with the club’s board have deteriorated completely as they’ve been on different wavelengths concerning transfers. With that, Conte’s place at the club became untenable, thus leaving the door open for a new face to join the Premier League.
Reports suggest that Chelsea’s new man could be none other than Thomas Tuchel. The German is a former Borussia Dortmund and FSV Mainz 05 manager that has 141 wins as a coach under his belt. Currently, with no club, Tuchel has been a free agent since parting terms with Dortmund earlier in the season. In his time at Dortmund, he finished runner-up to Bayern once and won the German Cup.
So, what’s special about Thomas Tuchel?
For those who don’t know, the 44-year-old is one of the most exciting coaches in world football. The German thrives on playing an attacking, free-flowing, high-octane and gegenpressing style of play. On top of that, Tuchel is credited for always breeding through young players, it was him that birthed the career of Ousmane Dembélé. Thomas Tuchel has shown throughout his time in Germany that he’s willing to adapt to any and all situations, through his tactics and style of play.
If you compare that philosophy to the one that Antonio Conte is currently utilising, it’s worlds apart. The Italian prefers to play a defensive, counter-attacking, disciplined and rigid style of play that relies on the solidity of a 3-4-3, 3-5-2 or 3-4-1-2. His reliance on these formations shows a lack of tactical flexibility, thus showing why Chelsea currently sit 5th in the league.
In addition, the 48-year-old hasn’t showcased any interest in bringing through any players from the club’s award-winning academy. Can you imagine what Tuchel could do with Chelsea’s youth academy, the same academy that has consistently won the FA Youth Cup.
It’s reported that Paris Saint-Germain is also interested in taking on Thomas Tuchel as it has already been confirmed that Unai Emery will be stepping down at the end of the season. PSG’s failure to advance to the latter stages of the UEFA Champions League has been cited as his biggest downfall.
Regardless, the Blues must pray that the lure of the Premier League is enough to bring the German to England. Thomas Tuchel could be THE manager that Roman Abramovich has been looking for all this time. He’s young, innovative and completely up to date with the evolution of the modern game.
