As Chelsea's players returned to their homes in the early hours of Wednesday morning following their disappointing Champions League defeat to Dinamo Zagreb, there was little indication of the huge change that would come later that day involving Thomas Tuchel.
It was at 10.05am that the shock announcement came of Tuchel's sacking after a meeting with two of the club's new owners, Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali. It was a huge surprise to Chelsea supporters but also to the club's players, many of whom awoke to the news of the German's departure.
"It was quite surprising really – I woke up to the message," Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah explained in an interview with talkSport on Thursday in the aftermath of Tuchel's dismissal. "It wasn’t expected but things like this happen. For us as players, we’ve got to focus on the present and we need to make sure our performances are stepped up now."
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The centre-back added: "We had a talk [on Wednesday] before going out to training about the situation and what is to come. It was difficult at the start and obviously, it hurts, but at the end of the day, it’s life and we’ve got to move on, focus on what’s ahead, and get to where we want to be."
It was under Tuchel that Chalobah was integrated into the Chelsea first-team squad. The 23-year-old had progressed during loan spells at Ipswich Town, Huddersfield Town and Ligue 1 side Lorient. He was ready for the opportunity handed to him by Tuchel last summer.
"He [Tuchel] gave me the platform last season to go and express myself and try to get into the team," Chalobah said. "I remember my debut for the club was the Villarreal game, there was a lot of pressure after he gave me that opportunity but I think I took it with both hands and enjoyed the moment.
"It was my boyhood dream to play for this club and to get the opportunity and win the trophy was unbelievable. That was the opportunity I’d been waiting for. Having been on loan three years prior, coming back I was waiting for the opportunity because I knew I was ready. And I took it well.”
In what proved Tuchel's final weeks in charge at Chelsea, Chalobah found his first-team opportunities limited. The academy graduate started the 2-1 victory over Leicester City at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League but that has been his only outing of the campaign thus far.
That is a surprise given Chelsea's patchy form. There have been defeats to Leeds United and Southampton in the Premier League in addition to the dismal showing against Dinamo Zagreb. The hope is that under Graham Potter, appointed Tuchel's replacement on Thursday, things will quickly turn things around.
And Chalobah, who was speaking prior to the Englishman being confirmed as the club's new head coach, is hopeful Chelsea will improve in the weeks ahead. "It’s not the start we wanted but this is football; we know what we have to improve on as a team and where we want to go," he said.
"It’s important we work on the things we haven’t been doing in the games and implement them in the games ahead. We need to stick together and improve as a team."
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