Fans will read into the statement given out by football clubs when a manager departs, and they often give a telling story.
Whereas Antonio Conte's 61-word thank you from the club in 2018 was further ammunition for the reports that the Italian had been going through a lengthy rift with Chelsea for most of his second campaign, and the dismissal and parting of ways were fractured. Frank Lampard's heartfelt message was tough to read.
The Chelsea legend was sacked in January 2021, bringing to an end the fairytale return that provided moments of jubilation for followers of the club. His 245-word exit statement also included a note from Roman Abramovich, one of the few times Chelsea ever heard publicly from their owner at the time.
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Now the shock of Thomas Tuchel's statement is wearing off, an analysis of the message sent to him and the fans regarding his departure makes for interesting reading. For a manager that reconnected supporters to the Club in times of toxicity and trouble, working through a global pandemic, the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent sanctions affecting Chelsea and then the first ownership change in nearly two decades, Tuchel had a rough ride off the pitch.
On it, he was immediately successful and earned the Club's second Champions League triumph whilst maintaining top four ambitions and revamping the squad this summer. Although not all of his decisions, more recently especially, were foolproof, the German became one of the most connected and emotionally intelligent coaches that the Club have ever had.
The statement upon his departure didn't give off such a message, though. Although there were thanks to Tuchel for his work, the swift movement to shift the onus on to the new owner instead of the manager's success demonstrates where the Club wanted the focus to be. Part of the statement read: "As the new ownership group reaches 100 days since taking over the Club, and as it continues its hard work to take the club forward, the new owners believe it is the right time to make this transition."
Upon Graham Potter's announcement, reading into his own welcome, there were messages from the owners, as has been the case for the summer signings, and it provided a subtle hint to Tuchel too.
In the announcement, Chelsea wrote: "We are thrilled to bring Graham to Chelsea. He is a proven coach and an innovator in the Premier League who fits our vision for the Club. Not only is he extremely talented on the pitch, he has skills and capabilities that extend beyond the pitch, which will make Chelsea a more successful Club."
The less than subtle idea that Tuchel didn't fit the vision is no longer a new concept since the fallout of his departure, but the words describing "skills and capabilities that extend beyond the pitch" could be seen as a sly dig at Tuchel's communication with the owners, which dwindled and suffered over the summer.
Potter will now have to put this right and act as an integral link between the owners and the playing group, at least until a new director of football is found, with the hands-on owners clearly wanting open communication with their newest recruit.
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