Thomas Tuchel took charge of his 50th match since he joined Chelsea in January against Juventus in midweek.
What an amazing ride it has been so far.
Having passed the initial test, taking us through to Champions League glory, getting the best out of the players in the meantime, he deserves claim to all the flowers.
It’s crazy how time flies when your team is in winning form.
In such a short space of time, Tuchel has managed to turn what was previously a toxic atmosphere around, showing why he is not just the best coach in the league, but also a great mentor for our boys.
50 matches, 32 wins, 11 draws (3 won on penalties), and 7 losses. A record that Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp could only dream of when they first arrived in the Premier League. His achievements since taking over from Frank Lampard have not been bigged up enough and maybe it’s because the Blues’ football was labelled as ‘boring’.
Fans laughed at us. They called us “boring, boring Chelsea”. Tuchel must have taken this personally. 20 goals in the last 8 matches for the Blues, tell me how?
It’s funny because Chelsea has been doing exactly what Manchester City was praised for doing last season. Since Tuchel’s arrival, 22 different players have scored for Chelsea. Just let that sink in, I’ll wait.
Contrary to the “boring Chelsea comments” Tuchel marked his arrival with one line,
"We will build a team that nobody wants to play against. And that's the challenge for me to do that as quickly as possible."
It seems like he has almost fulfilled his prophecy.
We see his effect on the pitch weekly. The 3-4-3 mater formation with tactics that have beaten the best managers in Europe. But what about off the pitch? Frank Lampard left the Blues sitting in 9th with Tuchel picking up the pieces to finish the season in 4th with a Champions League trophy. Chelsea now holds the lead at the top of the table and has just secured a spot into the last 16 of the Champions League. Baring in mind that they handed Juventus their heaviest ever European defeat in the process.
It cannot all be down to tactics and formations. What has actually changed in these 50 matches and why has it worked so well?
Take a look at this.
"I'm used to creating the special energy and atmosphere you need to create the possibility to win every three days in a league like this.” Tuchel said January 2021 when taking the roll at the club.
The German has understood the assignment before having the privilege of receiving it. The energy and atmosphere shifted not only for the players but for the fans also.
Tuchel’s 50th match against Juventus proved his connection with fans. He would continuously jeer the fans on from the touchline, urging them to sing and chant for their players. Immediately after Reece James’ goal, Tuchel prompted the fans to keep cheering even after the restart.
You could see the energy transcend into the stands as the stadium crescendoed each minute. Three minutes later, another goal was followed by Callum Hudson-Odoi.
It’s crazy what a positive atmosphere can do to your work. You see Reece James celebrates his goal just slightly putting his hands up to gesture a ‘this level normal for us’ attitude. A celebration you could only see the greatest in world football do. The confidence is there and it is thanks to super Tommy Tuchel.
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