No one wants to play Chelsea now: Neil Humphreys
Tuchel has hit upon a tough winning formula, as Blues reach q-finals
Like every Chelsea manager, Thomas Tuchel was hired to win the Champions League. Unlike every other Chelsea manager except Roberto di Matteo, Tuchel may not fail.
The German's tactical masterclass against Atletico Madrid - across two legs of their Round of 16 tie - was a remarkable statement of intent for the clubs left in the competition.
The Blues, who won the second leg 2-0 at home yesterday morning (Singapore time) to secure a 3-0 aggregate victory, are still short of being the most accomplished team in Europe, but they are certainly amongst the most disciplined.
Yesterday, Tuchel said that no one left in the Champions League wants to play the Blues now. No one in the English Premier League will be overly keen either.
Apart from Frank Lampard, who must have watched Chelsea's slick win against Atletico yesterday in a darkened room, observers can only admire Tuchel's impact.
His predecessor often complained that Chelsea's squad was too bloated and in need of trimming. But Tuchel clearly views the same squad as ideal for rotating against specific opponents, utilising the unique strengths of his varied talents.
In last month's first leg in Madrid, he threw his dogged, dependable No. 9 up front and asked Olivier Giroud to play both battering ram and ball retainer against the La Liga leaders.
Giroud's stunning overhead kick felt like a karmic reward for his manager's wily success in containing Diego Simeone's bruisers.
In the second leg, Giroud returned to the bench without complaint. It's all part of Tuchel's master plan.
Atletico were down an away goal and had no choice but to press with an aggressive 4-4-2, leaving them susceptible to the counter-attack.
Had Tuchel drawn a diagram on a whiteboard, had he played out the scenario on a computer game, he could not have envisioned his tactics playing out so beautifully.
Hakim Ziyech, Kai Havertz and Timo Werner poured forward in one scintillating counter-attack, allowing Ziyech to score.
POWERPOINT PRESENTATION
Chelsea's opener could lead a PowerPoint presentation on coaching. Here's Tuchel's plan. Here's the execution. Here's the Chelsea goal. Any questions? No, then let's move on to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
There have been many managerial quick fixes for fractured football clubs (Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's arrival at Old Trafford comes to mind). But Chelsea's complete transformation, in terms of results, performances, style and formation, in such a short space of time is something else altogether.
Under Lampard, the Blues were drifting towards mid-table, unsure of their best XI or how to get a decent return from Ziyech, Havertz and Werner's combined £220 million (S$411.6m) in transfer fees.
Werner's lack of goals remains a concern - only two in his past 27 games now - but his commitment to Chelsea's attacking cause was absolute against Atletico and his role in Ziyech's goal was decisive.
Havertz also looked like his former self, the one that played mischief-maker, goal provider and regular scorer at Bayer Leverkusen.
The EPL still seems a bit of a dizzying enigma for Havertz. But he loves life in Europe, drifting into deeper positions against Atletico and dictating Chelsea's tempo.
But Tuchel has arguably saved his greatest trick for the men behind Havertz. Under Lampard, the back four seemed to change on a weekly basis, as if names were being pulled from a hat and their positions added later as an afterthought.
Tuchel returned to an indomitable back three, a familiar and successful Chelsea approach during the Antonio Conte era.
Andreas Christensen, Kurt Zouma and Cesar Azpilicueta are showcasing their no-frills resilience, perhaps knowing that N'Golo Kante is once again being allowed to play alongside himself in midfield.
The indefatigable Frenchman is back to doing the work of two men, a job he still embraces like no other defensive midfielder.
As a result, Chelsea have racked up 11 clean sheets in Tuchel's 13 unbeaten games, a testament to his astute direction.
The Blues are disciplined at the back and growing in confidence up front, fully aware that they have a versatile coach maximising his vast resources, rather than complaining about them.
Tuchel isn't a manager for all seasons. There's no such thing with his impatient employer. The Chelsea job always has a limited shelf life.
But he's certainly a manager for this season, one that now holds the promise of a top-four finish and the faint hope of something silver.
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