One of Thomas Tuchel’s old bosses calls him a “footballaholic”. The image is of a man who spends every minute of every day poring over the game’s tactical intricacies. No wonder Tuchel quickly made good on his promise to turn Chelsea into a team that nobody would relish playing after inheriting a broken unit from Frank Lampard in January 2021.
They were champions of Europe four months later, stunning Pep Guardiola and Manchester City in a tense final in Porto after perfectly carrying out Tuchel’s plan. It was a remarkable achievement. Chelsea were flailing in mid-table when the German who has agreed to be England’s next manager took over. They were shipping goals at an alarming rate. Undeterred, Tuchel immediately ironed out the flaws and introduced a 3-4-2-1 system that turned Chelsea into the stingiest team in Europe.
Order restored, they clambered back into the Premier League’s top four and reached the FA Cup final (an oddly muted display against Leicester at Wembley was a rare misstep), but it was in the Champions League knockout ties where they truly shone. Chelsea were efficient and clinical during wins against Atlético Madrid, Porto and Real Madrid, conceding only twice in six games, and maintained that sturdiness against City.
Guardiola was outwitted. Chelsea were impossible to break down, dangerous on the counterattack and dominant in midfield. N’Golo Kanté was making the most of a rare injury-free spell and Jorginho, written off as too slow to succeed in English football, had the finest year of his career thanks to Tuchel’s coaching.
Jorginho benefited more than most from Chelsea’s switch to a back three. However, Tuchel is not wedded to that formation. He chose it because he thought that the ageing Thiago Silva lacked the pace to play as a centre‑back in a back four, especially if Jorginho was in midfield. Much of Chelsea’s attacking threat was provided by their young English wing-backs, Ben Chilwell and Reece James. It was no coincidence that a title charge during the following campaign stalled after Chilwell and James sustained long-term injuries.
Chelsea were still at their best in one-off occasions. Tuchel was more than capable of going toe-to-toe with Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup finals in 2022. Chelsea were unfortunate to lose both games on penalties after thrilling goalless draws.
They were a cup team short of the creativity required to keep up with City and Liverpool in the league. Tuchel toyed with a more open system at times but the fundamental problem was a lack of individual quality. Tuchel did not have a Mo Salah or Kevin De Bruyne. His attackers were too inconsistent. Chelsea drew too many easy games and Tuchel soon regretted spending £97.5m on the Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku, who was supposed to be the final piece of the jigsaw.
Tuchel’s main target for the No 9 spot was Harry Kane. Tottenham, though, were never selling to Chelsea. Tuchel had to wait until he was at Bayern Munich to sign Kane and he is poised for a reunion with the striker at international level.
Kane thrived for Tuchel last season. Suggestions that the 51-year-old’s controlled football restricts attacking players are perhaps overblown. If it is based on some frustrating performances at Chelsea, then it is worth pointing out that England have a superior and deeper array of forwards. Tuchel tends to find the right structure. He will not overload the attack and will prioritise balance in midfield. Tuchel wanted to bring Declan Rice to Chelsea and perhaps he will see something of Jorginho in the neat and tidy Angel Gomes. Like Gareth Southgate, he will not be afraid to use a back three if the situation demands it.
Players will find his sessions enjoyable and innovative. Tuchel is a pure coach who loves the smell of the grass. He is demanding and intense in training but he connected with the group at Chelsea. Mateo Kovacic, who has played for Guardiola, marvels at Tuchel’s tactical knowledge. Mason Mount played the best football of his career.
As for the media, English journalists loved Tuchel because of his intelligence, humour, insight and openness. Difficult questions are not going to trip him up. He had no trouble adopting a statesmanlike role when Roman Abramovich was forced to sell Chelsea after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
That was, of course, the turning point in his relationship with Chelsea. Tuchel was fired after falling out with the new owners and there will be concern over his personality. He has a reputation for clashing with his bosses, although the encouraging thing is that disagreements over transfers will not be part of the equation with England.
There will not be interference from above. The task will be to pick the right players, maintain the culture and somehow get England over the line in a tournament. For the FA, encouragement will come from Tuchel beating Guardiola when the heat was on. They will trust that Super Tommy Tuchel knows exactly what is needed. It probably won’t be everyone in attack and no one at the back.
