It has been a whirlwind first month for Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea.
Seven video games. 5 wins. Two objectives conceded. Zero losses. One public dressing-down of a participant.
Oh, and 1000’s upon 1000’s of passes.
The online result’s a widespread acceptance that Chelsea achieved an improve by firing membership nice Frank Lampard and changing him with extra of an skilled tactician in Tuchel, who has already put his personal stamp on the crew as he transitions to life in English soccer.
The schedule has been form to the German coach to date, although, with Premier League matches towards out-of-form groups (Wolves, Tottenham and Southampton) or relegation contenders (Newcastle, Burnley and Sheffield United) flanking an FA Cup sport at second-division membership Barnsley.
Now it’s time for the hardest check by far of Tuchel’s Chelsea tenure — a last-16 matchup within the Champions League towards Atletico Madrid, the Spanish league chief, and its coach of practically 10 years, Diego Simeone.
“That is precisely what we would like, the most important check,” Tuchel mentioned Monday. “As a result of hopefully it brings out the very best in us. It’s clear when play towards Atletico what you get — you get arduous preventing, an skilled crew, a whole lot of mentality.
“We are going to do it in our means, and they’ll do it of their means.”
The stats beneath Thomas Tuchel & Frank Lampard are attention-grabbing studying. Your ideas? pic.twitter.com/CoIOboASEN
— Frank Khalid (@FrankKhalidUK) February 22, 2021
So what has been Chelsea’s “means” because the arrival of Tuchel on Jan. 26, a day after Lampard’s firing and a day earlier than Tuchel took cost of his first match?
In a transparent change of sport plan, Tuchel instantly switched formation from Lampard’s 4-2-3-1 to a three-man protection with excessive wing backs and two sitting midfielders to guard the again line.
Additional ahead, Tuchel has seemed to get extra out of offseason signing Timo Werner by deploying him as an inside ahead, positioned on the left and simply off the principle striker, which has alternated between Olivier Giroud and Tammy Abraham.
The slate has been cleaned within the squad, with plenty of gamers introduced again in, together with left wing again Marcos Alonso — who hadn’t performed since September beneath Lampard — heart again Antonio Rudiger and Callum Hudson-Odoi, a winger who’s often working without any consideration wing again beneath Tuchel.
Cesar Azpilicueta, the reliable membership captain, has been a daily within the crew as a right-sided heart half. His days had appeared numbered beneath Lampard.
Then there’s been the clear change in taking part in fashion, with Chelsea dominating the ball and having at the least 70% possession in 4 of the seven matches. In opposition to Wolverhampton Wanderers, Chelsea had 79% possession and accomplished 820 passes — greater than some other crew in a Premier League sport this season.
🗣”I can perceive how he seems like this as a result of the worth and competitors we’re, within the PL is a a lot increased worth than it’s for PSG of their league”
Thomas Tuchel responds to Thiago Silva saying he feels much less stress to win the Champions League at Chelsea in comparison with PSG pic.twitter.com/8p4CA6B52Q
— Soccer Every day (@footballdaily) February 22, 2021
Nonetheless, some previous habits die arduous. Chelsea continues to wrestle to transform its dominance of matches and territorial stress into objectives, like within the 1-1 draw at Southampton on Saturday when Tuchel bemoaned his crew’s “lack of precision.”
“I didn’t really feel within the final 20 meters that we’d kill the sport,” he mentioned.
Anticipate probabilities to be few and much between towards Atletico’s skilled and famously rugged protection as Tuchel takes cost of a second totally different crew on this season’s Champions League, having led 2019-20 runner-up Paris Saint-Germain within the group stage earlier than getting fired in December.
Tuchel mentioned Chelsea must “over-perform” to get previous Atletico.
“That is solely potential if you happen to really feel a bond between the gamers as a coach, and I really feel these items,” he mentioned.
Tuchel mentioned Hudson-Odoi was in rivalry to start out the primary leg on Tuesday, having withdrawn the 20-year-old England worldwide barely half-hour after bringing him on as a halftime substitute towards Southampton — saying his “angle” wasn’t proper.
It was Tuchel’s first open spat with a participant since arriving, underlining his fame as a single-minded coach who will not be afraid to talk his thoughts.
Tuchel mentioned Monday he had spoken to Hudson-Odoi in entrance of the squad in coaching and that the matter was over.
“Generally you replicate, ‘Ought to I’ve completed that?’” Tuchel mentioned, “as a result of the media, the skin, the household makes it larger than it’s meant. Nonetheless, I did it and I had the response I wished.
“I mentioned after the sport that is the choice for right now, that is the lesson to study for him. For me, additionally.”
Certainly, Tuchel nonetheless has lots to study his squad, underscoring the dimensions of his activity towards Atletico as he seems to be to outwit a coach in Simeone who has been in his submit since 2011.
“ that you simply arrive on the highest degree whenever you play Atletico within the first spherical of the knockouts,” Tuchel mentioned. “We really feel assured. We really feel excited.”