2. Team selection
We’ve heard about Tuchel’s biggest flaw, now it’s time to dive into perhaps the most unknown area of his management. The 47-year-old comes to Cobham with tall orders: reunite the divided relationships between the old/new guard and maximize the potential of the Blues’ summer signings. By evaluating his past relationships and early goals, we are able to make a few inferences about the XI the German will trot out against Wolves on Wednesday.
First and foremost, the German duo will be included—there are no ifs, ands or buts about that. Chelsea spent a lot of money on Timo Werner and Kai Havertz this summer. One of Lampard’s biggest downfalls was his inability to get the most out of the Blues’ world class signings, and it’s now a priority for his successor. Tuchel has had a few weeks to prepare for this, and that could’ve included a chat with his former co-worker, Nagelsmann, about Werner. It’s hard to imagine either attacker missing a match under Tuchel when fit.
Here’s where things get interesting.
Chelsea has a third German on its roster, Antonio Rudiger. Rudiger has been subject to criticism after he was identified as one of the key revolutionaries leading the charge against Lampard. Kurt Zouma found himself riding the bench at Rudiger’s expense recently, so there’s no telling which centerhalf gets the nod alongside Thiago Silva. The aforementioned former Parisian spent time playing under Tuchel last season, so he’s likely the first name on the team sheet on Wednesday.
Silva isn’t the only Chelsea player to have played under Tuchel, however. An eager, young Christian Pulisic was a regular name in Tuchel’s teams at Dortmund. The American is set for a revival under the new boss as he’s struggled to get going after ending last season in incredible form. Pulisic, much like Werner and Havertz, is extremely flexible in where he lines up on the pitch, which makes the remainder of Tuchel’s team selection that much more difficult to predict.
There are a few contentious positions and a lot of question marks surrounding some of the youth players. Lampard was the first manager to give youth a proper way into the first team and although Tuchel likely won’t be as vocal about it, he isn’t going to shut academy players out either. The German has a history of welcoming young, deserving athletes into his teams—this will be no different. Individuals like Mason Mount and Reece James seemingly have to start, which means the fight for starting spots gets even more competitive in some areas. The two places to keep an eye on are center forward and the defense. Tuchel is going to be tasked with fixing a leaky defense and getting Werner back on the scoresheet, let’s allow the tactical maniac to work.