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Chelsea: Three things we’ve learnt from Tuchel’s team selection

By Gabe Henderson

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 31: Marcos Alonso of Chelsea celebrates with team mate Christian Pulisic after scoring their side's second goal during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Burnley at Stamford Bridge on January 31, 2021 in London, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 31: Marcos Alonso of Chelsea celebrates with team mate Christian Pulisic after scoring their side's second goal during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Burnley at Stamford Bridge on January 31, 2021 in London, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 08: Billy Gilmour of Chelsea FC gestures during the UEFA Champions League Group E stage match between Chelsea FC and FC Krasnodar at Stamford Bridge on December 08, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Chloe Knott – Danehouse/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 08: Billy Gilmour of Chelsea FC gestures during the UEFA Champions League Group E stage match between Chelsea FC and FC Krasnodar at Stamford Bridge on December 08, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Chloe Knott – Danehouse/Getty Images) /

Thomas Tuchel has now taken charge of two Chelsea games and while there’s still a lot to learn, early signs indicate a few things about the team. The Blues have played well under their new manager, drawing 0-0 with Wolves and earning a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Burnley. It’s going to take a lot of effort from all involved parties to turn this ship around, but things have been positive thus far. Tuchel’s first major Premier League test comes Thursday when Chelsea takes on Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham.

While the German’s starting XIs will likely remain inconsistent for the entirety of his tenure at Stamford Bridge, there are a few things we’ve learnt early on about his team selection going forward. One thing is certain and that’s the fact his Blues will play fluid and fast football. Tuchel’s team has looked like what Maurizio Sarri was trying to achieve in west London with Antonio Conte’s formation—a blast from the past, if you will. As long as Chelsea is winning football matches, few will care about the set-up or personnel though.

Here are three things we’ve learnt about Tuchel’s team selection during his two contests in charge:

1. Billy Gilmour isn’t ready yet

Frank Lampard had his say about the youngster before he departed and now Tuchel’s touched on the subject, as well. Under the Englishman who gave him his debut, Billy Gilmour was set to stay at Stamford Bridge and see the season out with his teammates. Lampard saw the young Scotsman through the same lens Pep Guardiola looked at Phil Foden through. The Man City midfielder is a bright, young midfield prospect who is too inexperienced to start regularly, but too good to go on loan, according to his boss.

After two matches at the helm, it’s obvious Tuchel feels different about the midfielder. Gilmour has been left out of the squad entirely during the early days of the Tuchel era. While the manager has elected to go with experience during his first week, not naming Gilmour to the bench in either match speaks volumes. Tuchel’s instead elected to field Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic in the center of the park both times. N’Golo Kante’s return in the near future will make it even harder for the 19-year-old to get playing time.

Tuchel is no stranger to picking youngsters in the starting XI either. This indicates that he simply doesn’t see Gilmour as anywhere near ready for regular first team football yet. Harsh? Perhaps, but after all, he’s the one paid to make personnel decisions. The transfer window has a few hours left and it wouldn’t surprise anybody to see Gilmour’s name pop up in the dying moments. The Blues have explored options for moving Gilmour out on loan for the remainder of the season. It’s understandably not the outcome many Chelsea fans want, but it’ll be nice to see the Scottish international get some minutes under his belt for another top tier team, should he eventually move.

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