7 key quotes from Tuchel’s first week as Chelsea coach – Mount, Werner, Silva…
Thomas Tuchel didn’t quite get the start to life as Chelsea manager that he might have envisaged with a 0-0 draw at home to Wolves, but he’s already making an impression.
The former Borussia Dortmund and PSG coach only had one training session before his first match in charge, having swiftly parachuted in as Frank Lampard’s successor.
Here are seven key quotes, from his players, Tuchel himself, and insiders to explain how things might change with the new regime at Stamford Bridge.
Cesar Azpilicueta
“Since he arrived, he made it clear what he wanted from us. He said that he was very happy to manage this group of talented players, experienced players,” the Chelsea captain told the club’s official website.
“We have a good mix of everything and he wanted to achieve the targets that we want, to do it all together.
“We are halfway through the season, we still have lots to play for and we have our objectives, and we know playing for this club always requires high standards every single day. Obviously, we will try to do it all together.”
Christian Pulisic
“I’m just very thankful for everything [Tuchel] did for me,” the American said back in 2016, via Bundesliga.com, of the manager that handed him his debut at Borussia Dortmund.
“Tuchel always just trusted me and gave me a chance. Of course he’s given me tips and feedback with what he sees every day in training and stuff like that, small things.”
That familiarity meant he wasn’t afraid to tease his new boss and give him tips on nicknames…
WATCH: Pulisic jokes with Tuchel after Chelsea boss gets ‘Azpli’s’ name wrong
Thiago Silva
“The six months I spent working with Frank were fantastic. And I had two unbelievable years with Tuchel in Paris too, including getting to the final of the Champions League,” the Brazilian told Chelsea’s matchday programme.
“It’s been a really unique week for me, different to anything I’ve experienced before, because when managers have changed before, the incoming coach has never been someone I’ve already worked with, who I already have such a good relationship with.”
Tuchel on Timo Werner
“At the moment his face is a bit closed, the weight is on his shoulders,” the German told Chelsea’s official website.
“He cares a lot, and that shows he has a fantastic character. Sometimes as a striker it does not help if you care a lot; sometimes it’s better not to care at all, but he’s not that guy.
“He cares, but he’s not happy with himself and with the way things have gone lately. Right now it’s important for him to rebuild his trust in himself, and re-find a smile on his face, and stop doubting himself too much. It’s my job to help him with this, and then also find a position where we can use his strengths.”
Tuchel on Mason Mount
“I like what I have seen from Mason so far, his personality is amazing, he is such a nice guy, such a competitive guy, with such a lot of talent,’ Tuchel told reporters after raising eyebrows by leaving the academy graduate, an ever-present under Lampard, out of his first starting line-up.
“Most importantly, every game I have watched so far he has left his heart on the pitch, he cares for Chelsea 100 per cent, he gives 100 per cent every time he plays, and this is the best basis for big development.
“I’m very happy to have him around and I will not stop pushing him, I will not stop guiding him and I will not stop trusting him. There is nothing to worry about.”
Tuchel on Billy Gilmour
“For Billy I have a good impression. He is a very strategic guy, with a very high level of game understanding, very good in the first contact, very clever in positioning.
“We will see if he has the physical level to compete in the centre of the field in the most physical league in the world, but he is super quick with his feet, super fast with his decision making, and very good in positioning like I said.
“For me we have 21, 22 outfield players available to play in three competitions. There is absolutely no need to get rid of players.”
Tuchel Cam 🎥 If his opening game in the Chelsea dugout is anything to go by, the new gaffer is quite the vocal one 🔊
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 29, 2021
Raphael Honigstein
The Athletic’s German football expert has the low-down on how Chelsea came to make their decision in a long-read feature that’s well worth your time.
He revealed that Tuchel has already been interviewed by the Blues in the past, and the club weren’t put off by his track record of falling out behind the scenes.
“Chelsea are well aware of his irascibility, having canvassed the opinion of plenty of agents and club officials who have experienced working with him.
“Yet even at Dortmund, where he had made few friends, officials cannot deny his outstanding ability to get a team playing superb, fluid, attacking football. ‘He will always get a top job because he’s just amazing in what he does with a team,’ a source close to that club tells The Athletic.”
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