Thomas Tuchel named Chelsea head coach

Former manager at the Paris Saint-Germain, Thomas Tuchel, has been appointed as the new head coach of Chelsea.

The German was confirmed on Tuesday as the successor to Frank Lampard, who was sacked on Monday, according to Sky Sport.

 It reported the club as saying Tuchel had signed an 18-month contract “with the possibility of an extension”.

Chelsea also confirmed that Tuchel would take charge of his first training session on Tuesday evening and will be in the Stamford Bridge dugout for Wednesday’s Premier League clash with Wolves.

“I would like to thank Chelsea FC for their confidence in me and my staff,” Tuchel told the club website.

“We all have the greatest respect for Frank Lampard’s work and the legacy he created at Chelsea. At the same time, I cannot wait to meet my new team and compete in the most exciting league in football.

“I am grateful to now be part of the Chelsea family – it feels amazing!”

Tuchel was available after his departure from the PSG, where he won back-to-back Ligue 1 titles and reached last season’s Champions League final before being replaced by ex-Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino.

The 47-year-old began his managerial career in Germany, going on to win the German Cup in 2017 with Borussia Dortmund, where he spent two years in charge following spells with Augsburg and Mainz.

Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia added, “It is never easy to change head coach in the middle of the season but we are very happy to secure one of Europe’s best coaches in Thomas Tuchel.

“There is still much to play for and much to achieve, this season and beyond. We welcome Thomas to the club.”

What to expect

Tuchel’s biggest asset is his tactical flexibility, according to goals.com. He is more focused on exposing weaknesses than adhering to one particular idea, making positional tweaks and wholesale formation changes – sometimes as many as half a dozen in a single game – to outwit the other team.

He most often uses a 4-3-3 formation, and although a 4-2-2-2, 3-5-2, and 4-1-4-1 have all been deployed frequently at various stages of his career, it is the 4-3-3, and its component parts, that provide the most accurate approximation of his tactical beliefs.

Perhaps the most likely system will be a 4-3-3 in which Jorginho – who Tuchel wanted to sign for PSG – plays at the base of midfield, with Mason Mount in the hybrid role and Mateo Kovacic or N’Golo Kante box-to-box.

Given the importance of pressing from the front, of dropping into the half-spaces, and of playing on the half-turn to advance with quick, vertical football, it seems likely a narrow front three will see Kai Havertz supported by Timo Werner and Christian Pulisic.

Then again, the 4-2-2-2 used regularly at PSG could be applied at Chelsea, with Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech out wide and Werner and Havertz, who played as false nine at Leverkusen, together up front.

Werner and Havertz are tailor-made for Tuchel’s Jurgen Klopp-inspired football, while the new Chelsea manager has also worked very effectively in the past with Pulisic at Dortmund and Thiago Silva at PSG.