Do Chelsea have the Wingers to fit Tuchel’s philosophy?

Brief summary of Tuchel’s favored Winger-profile.

As highlighted in previous articles, regardless of formation, Tuchel’s philosophy manifests itself into a 3-4-3 diamond. The winger, in this philosophy, plays a crucial part in both Tuchel’s midfield diamond and wide front 3.

The Midfield Diamond

As verticality is the name of the game in Tuchel’s philosophy, a midfield overload is created in order to gain numerical advantage (often 4v3 or 4v2) against the opposition’s midfield. This overload, whether in central or wide midfield, is what allows for such verticality to manifest. That said, it is commonly the winger in Tuchel’s system which drops as the “tip” of that midfield diamond as a no.10, acting as the connector between his 3-2 ball playing base and his attacking front 3.

As a no.10, Tuchel’s winger must have the ability to play on the turn and operate under immense pressure from the opposition’s 2nd and 3rd line of defense. Not only that, but the winger must have the vision and ball playing capacity to supply that “final ball” in behind, to break that 3rd and final line of defense.

The Front 3

Tuchel’s winger must also be able to act as a conventional wide winger. That is, he must have the speed, power and technical ability to take on players 1v1 and create chances in that final 3rd. While 1v1 may be a “blanket term” for taking on players, the best wingers in the world are able to take on defenders 1v2 and even 1v3 in such areas. Having such attackers is what separates the great from good teams in Europe.

Upon receiving the ball, the winger must have the ball-retention and progression capacity to take it to the opposition’s defense. It is the responsibility of the winger, first and foremost to do so, something that has been missing at Chelsea this season.

Do our current Wingers meet such profile?

Mason Mount & Kai Havertz

In my opinion, I believe Mason Mount and Kai Havertz have the potential to be perfect Tuchel wingers. Yes, I know that sounds weird at first, but hear me out. Firstly, as we have seen from both players when they have played on the wing, they are fantastic at becoming that “free/extra-man” in midfield, to create that midfield overload 4. Unfortunately, however, both players seem not to maximize their potential in such no.10 zones, due to their reluctance to take on players in central areas, often leading to back-passes and sideways football. Furthermore, while both players have the potential to play line-breaking passes needed from such no.10 zones, both players have shown great inconsistency with their vision and ability to do so, and thus has led to Tuchel trying alternative options as having inverted wingbacks in such no.10 areas instead.

In wide areas, there is the same criticism. While both players have the speed, power and dribbling ability to operate in wide areas, both players fail to take the initiative/responsibility to take on players in such wide zones, which once again, resorts to side-ways/backwards football. With that, I believe both players can definitely improve in such areas, and have the raw materials to suit Tuchel’s idea of a winger.

Christian Pulisic

Speaking of having the raw materials to suit Tuchel’s idea of a winger, I believe that Christian Pulisic has it all. That is, he definitely has the physical, technical and tactical ability to operate in both no.10 and wide-winger areas. Unfortunately, due to constant injuries, it seems as if Pulisic has stripped back what made him special in the first place, his ability to take on 2-3 players at a time in wide and central areas to create chances. That is exactly what Tuchel needs, and what a 19/20 season Christian Pulisic could have given to him.

That being said, there is one area in Pulisic’s game I believe has been under-par and needs improving, and that’s his vision. There is so many times where Pulisic gets into promising no.10 areas on the ball and he simply does not seem to see the pass ahead of him. I do not know if it’s due to his “do it by myself” style which he has when playing for USA, however, he often holds on to the ball for too long, with his head down, and as a result, loses the ball in crucial areas. This is, another player who I believe can fit the image of a winger in Tuchel’s philosophy.

Callum Hudson-Odoi

When I think about CHO, I think about the young player with the perfect makings of a wide LW in a 4-3-3. What do I mean? I believe that CHO has shown the ability to take on and beat the opposition’s 2nd line of defense in wide areas, then cutting in with his right foot to create chances/shoot in order to beat that 3rd line. A winger who is so strong in cutting in with his favored foot needs to have 2 no 10.s at the edge of the box, in order to create options for quick 1-touch, football through the opposition’s defense. That said, I believe CHO would fit in very well with a team, alongside 2 attacking 8s who act as those no.10s at the edge of the box to compliment his game.

Unfortunately, a Tuchel winger is largely required to be that attacking no.10, as a part of that midfield diamond. Thus far, I haven’t seen CHO show the ability to flourish in such no.10 areas, nor have the tactical know-how to know when to drop into midfield positions, and when not to. I am not saying he cannot develop that, I am just saying that he has not shown it yet. Furthermore, just like Pulisic, as a result of constant injuries, CHO has stripped back what made him special, which is taking on 1-3 players and creating something off nothing. Considering that, I would be open for the idea of loaning CHO out to find that rhythm again, however, I would not want to sell him yet as I believe he is still is an incredible talent.

Hakim Ziyech

When you think about what is needed from a Tuchel winger, and the creative qualities of Hakim Ziyech, you would think it’s a match made in heaven. I mean, his ability to distribute the ball from both wide and no.10 areas, tick major boxes in what Tuchel needs from such position. Unfortunately, however, it comes down to Ziyech’s lack of physical ability, which lets him down.

In both no.10 and winger positions, Hakim Ziyech do not possess the physical ability in the form of speed, power, and strength to play on the turn and take on players from both wide and central areas. While Ziyech’s dribbling and agility is very good, allowing him to flourish in driving with the ball horizontally, he does not possess the physical ability to drive on the ball verticality. This part of the game is crucial to Thomas Tuchel, and at Ziyech’s age, it is simply something that would not improve. All in all, while I love the player, and believe he bring something special to the team, however, I do not believe he fits Tuchel’s philosophy, and I would be open if we are to let him go this summer.

Timo Werner

When it comes to Timo Werner, a lot of people see him start as the left-sided forward and think Tuchel is using him as a second striker. However, that cannot be further from the truth. If you look at what is needed from Timo, he is often needed in wide winger/midfield positions, as well as central no.10 areas. Unfortunately, Timo does not possess the technical ability to thrive in such positions, when it comes to both his 1v1 ability in tight spaces, and his vision/distribution under pressure.

Yes, Timo does a decent job when given space on the counter to run in behind, or take on players 1v1 against a very high line, but in a possession-based team who is expected to break down low-blocks mostly, Werner does not possess the ability to operate in such tiny spaces. That being said, the question is, would I sell or keep? To be honest, I believe that Werner can be what Tuchel needs from the ST position, however, that is a conversation to be had when we dive into what is needed from a Tuchel striker, so be sure to tune in then!

In conclusion

In conclusion, I believe out of all our players, Havertz, Mount and Pulisic are the three who most likely will fit into Tuchel’s idea of a winger. Thank you for reading, and be sure to leave your comments below!