Strained relations, ruthlessness, week of turmoil, a tactical genius, and new reign
Just a few words that feature in our dramatic latest Chelsea FC Newsletter #Issue12
It has been a week of drama, turmoil, ups, downs, sadness, confusion, and madness at Chelsea Football Club.
Frank Lampard was sacked last Monday, to be replaced by Thomas Tuchel just one day later.
We have seen and heard many reports, rumours, stories and chatter off the back of Lampard being sacked, but the latest story of strained relations, ruthlessness, and a board not in-sync with the manager was a hard read that shocked me, yet didn’t surprise me.
I get a real sense of mixed feelings amongst Chelsea fans right now, and I can still feel a sense of sadness from many, yet most are trying to look forward and give our full backing to the new guy, the tactical genius that is Thomas Tuchel.
He took the reigns almost immediately, switched formations, played Callum Hudson-Odoi as right wing-back, used mini footballs in training, and picked players who have largely been out of favour under Lampard.
These are just a few surprises we can expect to see from a man who is obsessed with football, and obsessed with tactics.
Tuchel has given every single player in his squad a clean slate, which prompted me to write this positive piece titled ‘clean slates and best mates’.
A convincing win against Burnley was another positive sign, and the 3-4-2-1 formation can be devastating with the attacking overload. But will this be the go-to formation we can expect to see from Tuchel?
No, I believe he will be switching up depending on the opposition, and here are a few different formations I can see him trying, giving chances to other players in the squad who he is yet to pick.
Meanwhile, unlikely hero vs Burnley Marcos Alonso says he dedicated his goal to the Chelsea fans and clutched his badge hard when he celebrated.
It was his first game since September 2020 after falling out with Lampard, storming out of the stadium and watching the second half of a 3-3 draw against West Brom on the team bus.
We have just seen the end of another January transfer window, and as expected Chelsea were super quiet.
The only big deal that might have happened was Billy Gilmour going out on loan, but as we told you back on Friday - Gilmour stayed after positive conversations with Tuchel.
Finally, let’s end on a humorous note - Remember that time when Chelsea tried to sign Peter Crouch, Andy Carroll, and Ashley Barnes all in one window!? Throwback to 2018 here and relive that madness!