The evolution of Ruben Loftus-Cheek to Ruben Wingback-Cheek has been quite something over the past four days.
Starting in that unorthodox role in Saturday's 6-0 thumping of Southampton felt like a wild experiment from Thomas Tuchel just for one afternoon, crammed between two Champions League legs. Like a Marvel side issue that isn't really canon in the narrative of Tuchel's Chelsea.
But on Tuesday night, he repeated the trick, again putting Loftus-Cheek in a hybrid wingback role. Floating inwards and outwards, covering vast amounts of ground in order to unsettle the returning Ferland Mendy. Although the academy graduate was not outstanding, the clever use of the midfielder proves how lucky the Blues are to have the German.
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As Erik ten Haag awaits in the wings at Old Trafford, there is already lots of hype around the current Ajax boss arriving at Manchester United this summer and turning around the club's fortunes. Although Ten Haag's appointment presents intrigue and new hope, particularly with how he's crafted an impressive Ajax squad, Chelsea should not be fearful.
United, to put it kindly, has been a complete cluster fruitcake for some time. No clarity, no vision, disliked owners and a fractured dressing room. The task is steep for whoever takes that role, and given the surgery that the squad needs to assemble anything close to a cohesive unit, it is likely the road back for United is long.
At Stamford Bridge, the appointment of Tuchel has vastly improved the mood around the club. His tactical imprint led the Blues to a European Cup in under four months and made them World Champions in 2022. The defeat to Real Madrid was devastating, but the performance at the Bernabeu was inspirational, the sort Man United fans can only dream of seeing from their current group of players. The mentality shown is something the club can continue to build on with new investment and a clear vision.
Loftus-Cheek, for all the support of him by supporters as a product of Cobham, would have likely been discarded or forgotten under previous head coaches. Loftus-Cheek, valued at £18m by TransferMarkt, could still be off this summer, but Tuchel's use of a fringe figure proves his brilliance, his ability to maximise the squad at his disposal.
The German has done similar this season with players like Malang Sarr, an unfavoured centre-back reconfigured into a left-back during a challenging period of the season when Tuchel's wingback options were limited.
Tuchel has only had two signings during his tenure, Romelu Lukaku and Saul Niguez. Lukaku wasn't in Tuesday's squad, and Niguez came off the bench in the second period of extra-time. Given what Tuchel has already shown, the future looks bright.
Whilst at United, their muddled thinking has forced them into a corner. Even with Ten Haag's achievements with Ajax, there still is doubt whether his presence can make any tangible difference to a squad that has consistently underperformed.
*This piece was originally published on the 13th of April.
