The Analysis: Why Chelsea Fans Should be Happy with Tuchel

After Frank Lampard’s departure was confirmed by the club on Monday, Chelsea have appointed Thomas Tuchel as their coach, according to Fabrizio Romano. The 47-year-old was most recently the manager of French champions Paris Saint-Germain, having been relieved of his duties in December, following a weak start to their title defence.

Tuchel will bring with him more experience than his predecessor and certainly more winning medals. At the same time, the disaster start to the Chelsea careers of Timo Werner and Kai Havertz may take a boost, given Tuchel’s German ways and how they speak the same language.

We take an in-depth look at why Tuchel could be the right man for the Blues, including an unrivalled Ligue 1 record.

Firstly, to kick things off, Tuchel has been managing since 2007 when he took over Augsburg II as their head coach, before moving to Mainz, then Borussia Dortmund, before finishing up at PSG ahead of his Stamford Bridge move. To put this in perspective, Lampard was just six years into his 14-year Chelsea career at the time Tuchel first stepped into management, so it goes without saying that the German brings more to the table.

For the first time in a while, the appointment of a manager seems to offer excitement for Chelsea fans, with the German boasting the highest win percentage of any manager in Ligue 1 in its history (76.6%), as opposed to Lampard’s Premier League win percentage of just 53.4%.

During his spell in Paris, Tuchel picked up six honours in just over two years. However, he may well be most well remembered for the trophy he didn’t collect – the Champions League. He guided PSG to their first-ever final in the competition, where they were beaten 1-0 by Bayern Munich, which is by no means a showing of Tuchel's ability as a manager. Bayern won the treble that year and also become the only team in Champions League history to win every single game during one tournament, effectively establishing themselves as one of the best teams we've ever witnessed.

And at the same time, the club had never previously made it past the Quarter Finals, so this should be seen as a massive step in the right direction made by PSG under Tuchel. As well as his impressive league and cup record, Tuchel masterminded a number of excellent signings for the Parisians. Idrissa Gueye was signed for £25m from Everton and Keylor Navas has proven to be an excellent signing for around £13m.

While the club continued to spend big, Tuchel oversaw a new type of transfer for PSG, including more cost-efficient signings such as Spanish midfielder Ander Herrera, who joined the club for free upon the expiry of his Manchester United contract. In the long run, including this summer’s transfer window, having Tuchel at the helm may prove beneficial for Chelsea, after a summer of huge spending in 2020.

Prior to the 2016 DFB-Pokal final, Tuchel and then-Bayern boss Guardiola conducted a double interview, as the two have been very vocal about their mutual respect and friendship. Guardiola told DFB.de in 2016 that he believes Tuchel is one of the best coaches in the world, with the pair having a similar outlook on football.

“Thomas lives football. He has a passion and a desire to know everything and to constantly improve. He is thinking about his team, the opposition and football in general 24 hours a day. That’s why I rate him so highly,” said Guardiola.

Tuchel’s Dortmund went on to lose the final on penalties but would come away victorious in the following year’s final. This would be the first trophy of Tuchel’s managerial career, but he would beat a Carlo Ancelotti Bayern this time around, a man who is also in the Premier League.

Another exciting factor for Chelsea fans is the German link-up between the new boss and two of their marquee summer signings: Kai Havertz and Timo Werner.

The two German stars have both struggled for form since arriving from the Bundesliga, despite a joint cost of over £110m. Werner, in particular, has been under heightened scrutiny after scoring just four league goals all season and missing a variety of clear cut chances, including a woeful penalty against Luton Town in the FA Cup, which is giving Blues fans a very Fernando Torres-esque feel to things with the ex-RB Leipzig man.

Havertz, on the other hand, isn't getting as much of a chance with his form really not a threat at all. The 21-year-old has started only 11 Premier League games, and has brought in more just as many errors leading to goals (1) than he has goals, and the same amount of bookings (2) as he has assists. All of this is no doubt one of the main reasons for Tuchel's appointment in west London.

During his time in Dortmund, Tuchel introduced Julian Weigl into his midfield, who impressed with his maturity at such a young age. Tuchel’s history of getting the best out of young German talent will most likely have been a big factor in his appointment, as Chelsea are having to be patient to see the best out of two players with huge potential, and there can be no doubting the brilliance of these two men after scoring 142 goals between them in the past four years for their former clubs in Germany.

Many Chelsea fans believed that the appointment of Frank Lampard in 2019 signalled the beginning of a new era for their football club. They believed that the Blues would be building a project for a long-term plan, as opposed to their usual ruthless managerial merry-go-round. While that has not been the case, Tuchel provides an excellent alternative who has generally improved every club he has managed. His league win percentages at Dortmund (62.6%) and PSG (76.6%) will encourage the Chelsea board and fans alike, as they aim to return to the top of English football, gradually improving their exceptional young talent along the way.

By Luke Feather