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Tag: Tuchel

  • Tuchel turned Rudiger into EPL’s best defender – Ferdinand

    Tuchel turned Rudiger into EPL’s best defender – Ferdinand

    Rio Ferdinand believes Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has turned Antonio Rudiger into the Premier League’s best defender.

    Rudiger was on the outer at Stamford Bridge under Frank Lampard, who was replaced by Thomas Tuchel in February.

    The German has since become one of Tuchel’s most important players, and Ferdinand puts him up there with Manchester City star Ruben Dias.

    “Frank’s respectful and I think he’s honest enough to know and would say Tuchel has done an amazing job,” Ferdinand told FIVE.

    “But at the same time I’m sure Frank’s sitting there thinking, ‘well I didn’t see these certain players performing like this when I was there’.

    “But then it’s about Frank looking at himself, looking at his tenure there, did he approach things the right way. I’m sure he’s doing all this, he’s looking at, ‘Could I have handled this situation better, could I have handled that player better?

    “That’s what Frank will be going through and he’ll be looking to make sure he rights the wrongs from his time at Chelsea.

    “But you can’t do anything but respect and pay homage to what Tuchel has done.

    “Look at Rudiger, he’s arguably since Tuchel has been there [at Chelsea], been the best defender in the Premier League. Him or [Ruben] Dias in that time. He’s been unbelievable, he’s like an animal.”

  • I urged Chelsea not to sack Lampard – Tuchel

    I urged Chelsea not to sack Lampard – Tuchel

    Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel admits he urged the club not to sack Frank Lampard.

    Tuchel replaced Lampard in January and would go onto lead Chelsea to victory in the Champions League final.

    Recalling Chelsea’s first contact, he told Sky Sports: “I actually said to the board: ‘Are you sure about this? Because they will not like you for it. Maybe he deserves more time’. When I think of Chelsea, I think of Frank Lampard, John Terry, Petr Cech and Didier Drogba.

    “I think of Lampard as the first because he is the epitome of everything Chelsea is: hard work, aggressive players, great leaders, but at the same time a normal guy on the pitch and a huge team player. A true, true legend.

    “But I understood that the decision was more or less made. It was take it or not for me. Then I just hoped that I would get a fair chance with the players, because when you step in, not all 20-22 players are happy.

    “You can not expect everyone to be happy that the coach leaves. Especially not because they had a good Champions League group game, good results, good performances and sometimes they were simply just unlucky from the data we saw.

  • We could feel Lukaku was trying to join us – Tuchel

    We could feel Lukaku was trying to join us – Tuchel

    Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel admits signing Romelu Lukaku has increased the pressure on himself.

    The German had a spectacular start to life at Chelsea by winning the Champions League last season. And owner Roman Abramovich has backed him by sanctioning the £97.5million signing of Lukaku from Inter Milan, seven years after he left the club for Everton.

    Asked if he was now under greater pressure, Tuchel said: “Yes, but don’t we always have this? There were not many names and one of the absolute top solutions was Romelu, so we tried hard to sign him and we could feel he was trying [to join us].

    “When signing someone you ask, ‘How much does the player want to play for Chelsea, how much of the story does he want to write in this club?”‘ Is it a case of ‘I will actually walk to you?’ This is what Romelu absolutely transmitted to us.

    “Does this add the pressure on me personally? Maybe yes. I don’t feel it but I also don’t hide from it. We try to make the squad better — maybe to be on the same level as last season but for longer periods. It doesn’t work without quality.

    “Romelu brings qualities to the squad that we are convinced about. At the moment [the job] is more fun than pressure. Now it’s our job to bring the best from this group.

    “Outside expectations will not get lower but it’s the same for us. My expectations don’t get lower, so let’s be positive and do our best.

    “Romelu is the kind of personality we were missing up front and from now it’s our job to push ourselves to the limit.

    “Romelu is unique. He can play with his back to goal but also he is at his strongest in transition, with his immense speed. Add to that the fact he is a true goalscorer, so he is unique. Of course we expect goals and he expects that, too.”

  • Thomas Tuchel makes Ziyech transfer decision

    Thomas Tuchel makes Ziyech transfer decision

    Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is refusing to consider Hakim Ziyech’s release this month.

    AC Milan have been keen on signing Ziyech, reports Calciomercato.com.

    However, Milan’s chances of signing the player are ‘almost impossible’.

    That is because Tuchel has used the Morocco international regularly in both the pre-season friendlies and in the UEFA Super Cup against Villarreal.

    Milan did not make an official approach to Chelsea for Ziyech but were hoping to receive a signal that the player was available on loan.

  • I’m ready for Arsenal – Lukaku tells Tuchel

    I’m ready for Arsenal – Lukaku tells Tuchel

    New Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku insists he is ready to face Arsenal on Sunday.

    The Belgian has only started training with his new teammates this week after joining from Inter Milan.

    But Lukaku insists he is in great physical condition and ready to play against the Gunners.

    “I’ve been training throughout pre-season and I feel good,” confirmed Lukaku.

    “It’s been good to join in with the guys and get to work. Now it’s just about getting to know all my team-mates better and at the end of the day, I’m ready for Sunday if the manager needs me.”

  • Tuchel praised for 13-goal Weymouth thrashing

    Tuchel praised for 13-goal Weymouth thrashing

    Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has been praised by opposition players and coaching staff after their 13-0 friendly defeat to Weymouth.

    The club organised the fixture against Vanarama National League side Weymouth on Sunday afternoon to help improve the fitness levels of those who did not feature in the Premier League on Saturday.

    Weymouth player Ollie Harfield explained how it was a tough game for the National League side who were brushed aside by the Blues.

    “I didn’t expect them to field such a strong team but it was an eye-opener for sure!” Harfield told SPORTbible.

    Harfield then explained how Tuchel provided some words of wisdom to his team-mates on the pitch following the defeat.

    “He [Tuchel] thanked us for playing. He said he liked the way we tried to do things and never got onto each other when things weren’t going well,” he said.

    “He also said how it was always going to be this sort of result, playing such a strong team like he did, but appreciated us for being part of it.”

    Weymouth boss Brian Stock also revealed to the Dorset Echo: “The scoreline, no one wants to lose 13-0 but when you look at the movement, the power, the pace – you can see the top-level and big gulf.

    “The lads kept on going right to the end. Thomas Tuchel came over and said some very nice words to us.

    “Apart from the scoreline, everything else was positive.

  • Why Chelsea signed Romelu Lukaku – Tuchel

    Why Chelsea signed Romelu Lukaku – Tuchel

    Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel is confident Romelu Lukaku has the right character to settle quickly at the European champions.

    The former Inter Milan striker joined Chelsea yesterday for a fee of £98m.

    Tuchel said, “We have a strong bond and team mentality to help each other. We think Romelu, having always had Chelsea in his heart, is the perfect addition to our group. He embodies all that we’re proud of at this club.

    “We spoke on the phone. Right now, he’s following protocol and quarantining for a few more days.

    “Last season, we came fourth, not second, so there some bridges to be built to close the gaps. We had a very strong half a season with the group with a fantastic ending and now a very exciting start with a trophy at the beginning.

    “We were looking for a certain profile and Romelu fits it. He likes to play physical, he’s comfortable playing with his back towards the goal, but he’s also very, very strong in using his speed and pace.

    “Romelu has a variety of strengths. He’s strong in the air, he’ll give us a new power when we cross from the side. We don’t have to change our style of play to make him shine. He has a charisma, he is a good age, he’s a leader. Hopefully he can be a leader in our group.”

  • Different challenge facing season as European champions – Tuchel

    Different challenge facing season as European champions – Tuchel

    Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel recognises the challenge of entering the new season as Champions League title holders.

    Ahead of tonight’s Super Cup clash with Villarreal, he detailed the challenge that awaits him and his players.

    “Does anybody have the recipe how to do better after a Champions League victory?” said Tuchel. “I don’t know. I don’t have it. It was my first Champions League win. It doesn’t feel like pressure because this is what we demand of ourselves.

    “I demand of myself to get better every day, to use my experiences to be the best coach possible, to lead by example, to come to Cobham full of energy in a good mood and ready to continue the journey together. It has just started and hopefully it will be a long journey.

    “The courage now is to face the challenge. The courage is to step up and demand we develop and improve certain things. There were things in our game in the last half-a-season we were very strong at, and we have to maintain that.

    “We have to clearly rebuild the same spirit that put us in the possibility to have all these results. There are a lot of different tasks to fulfil. The most important is we don’t lose sight of that by thinking too much about pressure or expectations.”

  • Tuchel explains how he’ll fit Lukaku into his attack

    Tuchel explains how he’ll fit Lukaku into his attack

    Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel is confident Romelu Lukaku will complement his existing attack.

    The Blues are on the verge of securing the services of Inter Milan striker Lukaku for £98m and the signing will come as a relief to Tuchel who’s side struggled in front of goal last season – despite their Champions League triumph.

    Speaking to Sky Sports News, Tuchel said: “He (Lukaku) has the kind of profile which likes to play with his back towards the opponent’s goal, who likes to hold the ball up, create space for Kai Havertz, for Timo Werner and for Christian Pulisic.

    “He is the kind of profile we don’t have in our squad right now, that we are looking for if it’s possible to sign.

    “If it’s not possible to sign the player, we will find other solutions as it’s still not the moment to talk about names because we have nobody signed yet.”

  • Some Chelsea players wanted to stay with their loan teams – Tuchel

    Some Chelsea players wanted to stay with their loan teams – Tuchel

    Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel admits major changes are due within the playing ranks over the coming weeks.

    Tuchel has spoken of the team’s preparations for the 2021/22 season and also the return of their loan players.

    The German said, “It was new and interesting because some players want more playing time. Others wanted to stay at the clubs that loaned them.

    “Chelsea are a positive and hardworking team, eager to learn, ready to work and eager to win.

    “I am pleased to be their coach.”