Other formations Thomas Tuchel could use and which players will feature
It's been 3-4-2-1 so far, but Tuchel is likely to switch up depending on the opposition
First game in charge of Chelsea, a team who have mainly be playing in a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1 formation for the last two seasons, Thomas Tuchel lines up in a 3-4-2-1 formation and sticks Callum Hudson-Odoi in the right wing-back position.
Pure madness right? Wrong.
Tuchel is a tactical mastermind and a student of the game. He has no gripe in switching the formation entirely if he believes it will get the best out of the players that he selects and is best for the opposition they face.
He knew that both Wolves and Burnley set up with a very stubborn low-block, and the attacking overload that the 3-4-2-1 formation provides will do the trick.
Obviously against Wolves, he had just one training session to implement it, but it was a ballsy move that very almost paid off.
Then against Burnley the cogs starting to turn and things fell in place. Chelsea have bossed possession and even provided the finishing touches to that against Burnley. It could have and should have been at least 5-0, which is surely a sign of things to come. But right now, this bold move to switch formation has been genius.
But what about when Chelsea face tougher opposition, like against Tottenham this Thursday for example? Well, only the man himself knows what he is planning and I feel sorry for anyone trying to write their predicted formations this week and going forward!
However, he may wish to switch back to the more defensively stable 4-3-3, which provides more bodies in the defensive phase and if they find themselves under the cosh a bit more.
Now Tuchel has said that N’Golo Kante is a double 6, rather than a lone holding midfielder, so I am not sure who he will use in the hole if they do switch to this formation. Jorginho perhaps? Billy Gilmour?
This is a rough setup and could provide starts to players like Ben Chilwell, Reece James, Kurt Zouma, Hakim Ziyech, and Olivier Giroud who all missed out yesterday.
There are other formations he could use, perhaps a 5 at the back which gives you the opportunity to transition between a couple of formations depending on whether you have possession or not.
Then there is a slightly more defensive version of the 3-4-2-1, which is the 4-2-2-2. It gives you the 4 at the back and support of a deep double pivot, but it can also be devastating and still provide an overload in attack with the full backs getting forward.
In this formation, the likes of Reece James, Kai Havertz, and Timo Werner will thrive.
What is clear is that every player has a chance to impress and nail down their place under Tuchel, but there are some players who have yet to be given the nod in the 3-4-2-1 formation.
So I’d expect to see different players for different formations, depending on their strengths, what they bring, and who we are playing against.