Since Thomas Tuchel took the mantle at Chelsea FC, serious changes have allowed the club to dominate its games. Before arriving at Chelsea in January 2021, Tuchel had been a manager for Paris Saint Germain and Borussia Dortmund – both excellent teams. He signed to the club on an initial 18-month contract, but there is the option for a year’s extension. Surprisingly, despite both former Chelsea manager Frank Lampard and Tuchel having careers alongside each other, they’ve never clashed face-to-face. According to ESPN, the only contact Tuchel had with Lampard was a good luck text after he took over.
Chelsea is currently at the top of the Premier League, meaning Tuchel is doing something right. With that in mind, let’s look at how his management style is impacting the team.
Defensive Restructuring
In the 2020 season, Chelsea struggled defensively and somehow conceded 54 goals. In terms of conceding, this puts Chelsea on par with Brighton, who ranked 11 behind them. Fortunately, Tuchel has turned this around, with Chelsea only conceding 17 goals to date under his command. This is an impressive feat, given that he’s been with Chelsea for a lot more than 30 games now. At the moment, they have the cleanest sheets compared to any other European team this season. One way he has done this is by shifting up the tactics into 3-4-3, which moves away from the classic Chelsea 5 in the back. After all, the way to win goals is by consistent attacking.
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Excellent Team Selection
When the team hits the field, you see 11 players with seasoned regulars. However, the Chelsea squad runs deeper than this, and Tuchel knows this. He knows that he’s got an entire arsenal of quality players sitting behind the scenes and that they’re all trained to win games. Although we see regulars like Mason Mount, Kurt Zouma, and Cesar Azpilicueta taking the field, Tuchel knows that it’s his responsibility to learn the team’s strengths and change the players according to circumstance. By utilising all of his players, he drives his entire team forward as a cohesive unit.
Flexible Tactics
Football matches last at least 90 minutes, and the situation at the beginning rarely reflects the end. Tuchel knows this, and he’s not afraid to make changes to his tactics as the game proceeds. This means that, although he’s found success with 3-4-3 and 3-5-2 lineups, it doesn’t mean he won’t flip the field on its head and opt for 4 or 5 at the back. His extensive understanding of football tactics pairs perfectly with the determination and tenacity of the Chelsea squad.
Communication
Effective and open communication is an essential part of any management, and football is no different. Under Tuchel, there are no disjointed lines of communication – every player sits on the same line irrespective of how often they play. This is something displayed by Tuchel because he’s used every single player at his disposal, at least once. According to interviews with Tuchel and his players, communication is transparent, and each player knows where they stand. If they aren’t playing, they are told exactly why. On the flip side, if a player is chosen for the starting lineup, they will be told exactly what is expected.
As well as off the pitch, you can see that Tuchel is a great communicator at games. You will see him shouting words of encouragement and directing his team from the sidelines. Although Tuchel is a communicative and open manager, he’s not a pushover. If you watch the Chelsea vs Liverpool game, you will see Ben Chilwell being given a telling off for not crossing quickly enough.
Three In The Back
As mentioned previously, Tuchel is driving the Chelsea squad back to the days of three at the back. By doing this, he strengthens their defensive play and fortifies his attack. By having a wing-back on each side of the field, Chelsea has created fantastic opportunities. Especially in the 3-4-3 approach, the wing-backs can drop back and forward as need be.
Promoting Team Vision
Despite winning games and defending their goal well, Chelsea hasn’t had the greatest luck when it comes to attacking. This is bound to be the case, given that they have two strikers who need to adjust to the Premier League level of play. However, Tuchel understands this and has addressed it through his tactics. He knows that his entire team is trained to score goals and defend. Therefore, thanks to his shuffle in tactics on the pitch, his strikers have enough support to score goals. This move shows how great Tuchel is as a manager for Chelsea. He has promoted an entire team vision within his squad, and it’s paying off.
Holistic Management Style
Everyone in the team should be having fun alongside working hard. This wasn’t evident under Frank Lampard’s reign. He appeared to be a fan of discipline, with stern punishments in place for players that made mistakes. This isn’t how Tuchel works as a manager, and it shows. In an effort to change a culture of players going over the manager’s head, Tuchel treats his whole squad like adults. Hopefully, Tuchel’s demonstration of respect will be returned.
Chelsea is currently at the top of the Premier League and is on track to keeping hold of their title. We don’t know what has changed at Chelsea because Tuchel has no idea how Lampard managed his team. However, we know that Tuchel is getting the management right. The players are putting on an outstanding performance, they’re working hard as a team, and they’re incredibly receptive to Thomas Tuchel.
