In the early weeks of Thomas Tuchel's reign as Chelsea's head coach, it did not take long for pieces to emerge proclaiming how transformed the club was by the German's presence.
How refreshed the players felt by his methods, how involved previously discarded talent were, and the feeling of unity and excitement led to better performances on the pitch. There was no denying these things actually happened. One of Tuchel's shrewdest first acts was to reintegrate senior players who had allegedly felt marginalised under Frank Lampard. Chelsea had a new energy, and they looked galvanised and robust.
The opening five months led up to the Champions League triumph, which included the likes of Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen, Cesar Azpilicueta and Jorginho, all of whom were not certs in the lineup before Tuchel's appointment.
