Tuchel’s tactics: How Chelsea’s new manager can get more from the squad

After spending a lot of money in the summer, people expected Frank Lampard to achieve better results at Chelsea than he did last season. However, things went the opposite way, and their slump over the last few weeks has now led to a managerial change at Stamford Bridge.

Thomas Tuchel, the former Mainz, Paris Saint-Germain and Dortmund head coach, has now been appointed to lead Chelsea. So, what changes and tactics can we expect from the German in London? We are looking at a comprehensive overhaul and some possible new roles for the Chelsea players in this tactical analysis of what can be expected under Tuchel at Chelsea.

Jorginho returning as a regular starter?

At Dortmund, Tuchel played with one holding midfielder, and that role was taken by İlkay Gündoğan or Julian Weigl. In Paris, the German head coach often used a double-pivot, while the Brazilian centre-back, Marquinhos was pushed forward as a defensive midfielder, either as part of the double pivot or as the deepest midfielder in a three-man midfield. This role is pivotal for Tuchels teams, as he preaches control in most phases of play, and using the deepest midfielder is his way of ensuring this.

We believe that Jorginho is going to return to the starting lineup under Tuchel. The former Napoli midfielder had actually been one of Tuchels targets during his time in France, and so we know that Tuchel does rate Jorginho highly. The demands of this role under the German are quite high, with exceptional understanding of the game, and good communication skills with teammates being just two of the intangibles that any player who plays there will need to have, which once again points towards Jorginho as the outstanding option from this Chelsea squad.

So, what would Jorginho be doing? This section uses some examples of Tuchel’s previous midfielders to predict Jorginhos potential duties and responsibilites.

Tuchel is fluid with his build-up shape, which has varied between a 2-1, 3-1, 3-2 and 4-2 in his career. Regardless of the exact shape being used, the pivot’s ability is going to impact the team performance the most. Therefore, not only should this player understand the game, but he should also be able to communicate with teammates – a strength of Jorginhos.

For example, consider the situation in the previous image. Weigl does not verbally communicate with his teammates, but uses the fact that he is being marked to position himself in such a way as to open the passing lane to the striker, allowing for a vertical pass to be played. It is in this manner, by understanding the game situation and almost prompting his teammates actions with his movement and positioning, that Jorginho will need to dictate proceedings under Tuchel.