Winter is coming. However, unlike the antagonists in the popular HBO series Game of Thrones, winter is a familiar foe to Chelsea. The Blues have been staring this problem in the face for years. Their form dips as soon as the calendar’s change seasons. Once it becomes December, Chelsea magically begins to struggle. It’s like clockwork. There is no logical explanation other than possible issues related to fixture congestion. The Blues have the injury excuse to fall back on at the moment, but the injury report hasn’t been this crowded in year’s past.
Chelsea got lucky against Watford midweek on the first day of the month. Unfortunately, its luck ran out on Saturday as the Blues were beaten by a West Ham side that was better on the day. Thomas Tuchel was tactically outclassed by David Moyes in the second half as the hosts scored two goals to take the three points in a 3-2 thriller. It was the first time that Chelsea had conceded three goals in a match since the West Brom anomaly last season. This defeat officially marks the end of Tuchel’s honeymoon period at Stamford Bridge.
Thomas Tuchel’s honeymoon period at Chelsea came to an end on Saturday
It’s not unusual for managers to be awarded a honeymoon period upon their hiring, unless, of course, you’re appointed by Watford. However, Tuchel’s criticism-free window lasted a bit longer than others due to the fact his side won the Champions League back in May. The German was given the job back in January and 11 months later, he’s now going to begin to feel the heat from the throne in which he currently resides. The Chelsea manager just stepped out into the real world from dreamland. This is not to suggest he’s in danger of being sacked—he’s earned himself more time than perhaps any manager in recent memory, a sack isn’t even on the books—he’s just going to be subject to criticism more often.
The Blues still sit in great positions on all fronts, so to say Tuchel’s job is secure right now is an unbelievable understatement. He’s not going anywhere anytime soon, at least we hope. The honeymoon period’s ending simply means the fans cannot use the UCL trophy to deflect any comments about Tuchel’s current decision-making. The Champions League triumph earned the manager a critique-free first 23 games of the season. Now, questions are sure going to arise about Tuchel’s recent tactical blunders, mismanagement of Romelu Lukaku and defensive fragility. Chelsea looks incredibly vulnerable as of late and that’s something that needs fixing.
Tuchel is about to enter into the toughest stretch of his relatively young managerial career.
The cracks in the foundation of the club need filled. Tuchel’s side is struggling at the moment in games it should be winning comfortably. The Blues’ boss will be tasked with figuring out how to play with Lukaku up front. He also needs to stabilize the defensive unit that his success in SW6 has been built on. The lights shining down on Tuchel will be bright as he tries to juggle numerous competitions, superstar contract negotiations and a growing injury list. There is nobody in the world better suited to come out on top in all of these instances though.
Tuchel is one of the finest managers in all of football and he’ll surely be glad that people are going to begin criticizing his work. The 48-year-old has never been one to take handouts; instead electing to embrace challenges at every turn. Tuchel’s team needs to adopt a bit of that identity, as well. Chelsea sat atop the Premier League table when it ventured to the London Stadium. West Ham was quick to remind the Blues that simply being the league leader is not enough to guarantee a victory. Tuchel and Chelsea need to earn everything from here on out, there is no way around it. I’m not much of a gambling man, but my money is on the Blues to figure things out.
Do you believe Tuchel will be able to turn things around during the busy holiday period? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!