Thomas Tuchel has yet been handed anything more than a pat on the back in the January transfer window as Chelsea continues to hedge their bets.
Marina Granovskaia, the Blues' transfer chief, has brought the German just three signings since he guided Chelsea to Champions League glory in Porto; one of which was a third-choice goalkeeper and the other a deadline day loanee.
With just hours left of the winter window remaining, the west Londoners are still yet to significantly bolster Tuchel's squad, who has been nursing an onset of absences.
And, while the Chelsea board may be satisfied with the club's position thus far, Tuchel has been over-performing, and the European champions risk falling down a slippery slope of mediocrity if the German isn't armed with the necessary tools to compete at the highest level.
Daniel Childs spoke to TV commentator and Bundesliga, expert Kevin Hatchard, live on the Carefree Chelsea show to delve into what the Blues board must do before the January window shuts to avoid falling into the same trap that Dortmund did during the Tuchel era.
Hatchard kickstarted the discussion by outlining how Chelsea must be careful to keep their boss' flame burning. The west Londoners risk repeating the same £93.6 million mistake as Dortmund did.
The German football expert alluded to the sales of big names and a small number of significant incomings during Tuchel's stay at the Signal Iduna Park, warning the Blues that they could be about to ignite the same fuse.
"I think he can be demanding, abrasive, and I don't think that helped him, but the football they played at times was absolutely sensational," Hatchard said.
"What really hamstrung him, in the end, was the sales. He lost guys like [İlkay] Gündoğan, [Henrikh] Mkhitaryan and [Mats] Hummels and that angered him."
"He wanted players to be brought in, so there was that tension behind the scenes."
Childs added by noting the weak relationship between Tuchel and the Dortmund fans, insinuating that their dissimilar visions accelerated his exit.
The Carefree Chelsea presenter and writer then added how this narrative is quite the opposite in west London.
"Some of the fallout from Dortmund was from the lack of connection he had to those supporters at Dortmund who care so much about their values," he said.
"Whilst from a Chelsea side, if you speak to a Chelsea fan, there isn't that kind of sterile feeling with Tuchel. There was, from very early on from, that connection."
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