It is quite damning that over £100m worth of talent came off Chelsea's bench as legs tired in Tuesday night's pulsating Champions League quarterfinal and made little impact. It is fair to contextualise players' own shortcomings and inability to enact their coach's plan rather than purely being symbolic of a wider issue.
But as Carlo Ancelotti turned to his bench and called on the fresh legs of Rodrygo, who latched onto Luka Modric's ridiculous pass to level the tie, and Eduardo Camavinga, who injected a level of energy at the perfect moment to drain Chelsea of confidence.
Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech, Jorginho and Saul Niguez were called upon to replace Timo Werner, N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. The level of intensity and tactical precision was lost, and momentum devastatingly swung in Los Blancos' favour to define who would progress to the semi-final.
READ MORE: Thomas Tuchel lifts Chelsea curse that Jose Mourinho could not fix despite Champions League exit
The last two, in central midfield, feel most telling here, given how different the profiles of Jorginho and Saul Niguez are to N'Golo Kante and Saul Niguez. The swap severely dropped the levels of counter-pressing, speed of passing and physicality.
The problem Thomas Tuchel has is the lack of consistency in the club's recruitment, mainly pre his arrival. Players who offer a series of skills that provide adequate backups to his main plan.
The players who featured in the majority of Tuesday's game showcased the best of Chelsea under the German. As noted by podcaster and writer Joe Tweedie, the aggressive approach with dynamic players allowed Tuchel to take more risks against elite opposition.
Isolating this down to Kovacic and Kante, who behind them on that bench provide similar? For all of Jorginho's progression under Tuchel, the drawback to his presence is the lack of mobility and physicality. Jorginho is never going to press like a Kovacic or Kante, ferociously hunting the ball without regret.
When Tuchel's first-choice team faded, he knew he needed to freshen things up, crucially as the game moved into extra time, but the complexion changed. Jorginho offers protection of the ball and recycling of possession, but as Real capitalised on last week, his lack of speed going the other way provides a gaping Achilles heel Tuchel has had to mitigate.
Just taking a look at the subs Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola made in Sunday's clash between Manchester City and Liverpool further demonstrates how Chelsea's recent recruitment has hurt Tuchel.
For City, Jack Grealish and Riyad Mahrez came on for Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling. For Liverpool, Luis Diaz, Roberto Firmino, and Naby Keita replaced Sadio Mane, Diogo Jota and Jordan Henderson. Although all five players are not identical, the gap between skillsets is not that vast.
All have their strengths, sure, but they maintain the vision and general gameplan of the two coaches. It has helped both Guardiola and Klopp manage injury and suspension well and also maintain the level of intensity as a game drags on.
Heading into next season, Tuchel can be aided by a returning Conor Gallagher, a player who offers the energy required, along with the likes of Armando Broja and Levi Colwill. Suddenly you've got more versatile and dynamic players who feel more consistent.
Looking further in the transfer market, Aurelien Tchouameni, a long-term target for Chelsea and firmly on Real Madrid's summer wishlist, would offer the perfect Kante replacement Chelsea have desperately lacked in central midfield for several years.
You also need subs to perform on their own, which sadly did not happen on Tuesday when Tuchel needed it. But the wider issue of consistent recruitment remains a blind spot the next owners cannot allow to look over any longer.
