3 things to look for in Chelsea at Bournemouth: 3-4-3 or 4-4-2?
2. Formation
There have been questions surrounding Tuchel’s set-up since day one when he arrived for a late night training session at Cobham. The German earned a reputation in his pre-Chelsea days for his adept tactical switches and ability to adapt to his opponents. Nevertheless, he seldom strayed from the 3-4-3 he installed in late January throughout last year’s campaign. It worked to perfection as Tuchel’s Blues went on to lift the Champions League trophy, those questions have not gone away though.
Tuchel’s reported test of a 4-4-2 in the Peterborough game won’t help him dodge these questions either. The possibility exists that the head coach simply set his side up in this formation due to the personnel at his disposal. Ike Ugbo and Armando Broja took the field next to one another in the game’s latter stages as dual No. 9s, a shift that worked to perfection as Chelsea netted four goals in the second 45-minute period. It’s something that’s been discussed as a possibility for the Blues going forward if they fail to sign Erling Haaland this summer.
Werner showed at Leipzig that he is undoubtedly more comfortable in a formation that allows for two strikers up top. He could potentially be paired with Havertz, who acts as a Thomas Muller type who can slot in anywhere across the front line and find space with ease. This is the reason the formation is going to be such an interesting aspect of the Blues’ first official contest open to the public this season.
Tuchel rarely toyed with the tactics last year because he didn’t have much time to teach the team. Now, he has a relatively full preseason under his belt and an entire campaign with significantly less pressure than his first. More time and more matches will equate to more opportunities for the gaffer to play around with different ideas. There is, of course, the possibility he doesn’t change a thing. Tuchel’s 3-4-3 proved successful as his side went on to conquer Europe and came within a few inches of the FA Cup title. The cliche “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” seems perfect for this scenario, but there is a reason Tuchel gets paid the big bucks.