What’s the difference between Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City today? Two of these clubs have had long-term managers with a philosophy. The other remains continue to change managers roughly every 18 months.
Chelsea fell victim to their own regime that has bough them success over the last two decades. Roman Abramovich’s cutthroat way of handling business is the reason why the Blues are as successful as they are. Who is to say that Chelsea would have won five Premier League titles and two Champions Leagues if Abramovich did not make changes to help them reach the promised land.
Times have changed now. With the right head coach at the helm, it may be time to take a page out of our rivals book.
I recall Jurgen Klopp coming into a dysfunctional Liverpool team. With limited resources, he was given time to work and build a team that could work for his desired philosophy. Though it had taken him some time to build the perfect squad, he now sits as possibly Liverpool’s greatest manager of all time. His Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, and Virgil Van Dijk transfers made Liverpool a new age success story. Those were his signings which pertained to his preferred style of pressing play. Now his team is hailed as one of the most formidable teams in Europe.
If we want to look at more immediate success, Pep Guardiola is the benchmark. Antonio Conte may have won the Premier League in his first season managing at Chelsea, but it all went crumbling down when he was not given the desired players. Guardiola struggled in his first season with Manchester City but had proven that his style of play is sustainable. The chequebook opened for the Spaniard, and he began to build his army that would dominate England for several seasons. Six years later, his style of play has not changed, and his team only looks to be getting stronger.
Chelsea has been successfully changing their managers and maintaining their image with the abundance of trophies won during that time. As a fan, I am not against doing what works for the Club; however, at a point, you start to realise that this may no longer be sustainable.
Thomas Tuchel has received a level of backing from the fans that I have never seen before in the Roman Abramovich era. Jose Mourinho’s second stint saw him quickly fall out with his faithful day one army. With the high volume of support that Tuchel has right now, it may be the best time to replicate Manchester City’s regime and put our trust in him for an unprecedented period.
No, I’m not saying he will become the next Sir Alex Ferguson for Chelsea. He will need a series of windows to get his desired players in the door, playing his ultimate philosophy. But he can give Chelsea better results if he is gifted with players that he can tailor to his vision. So far, Tuchel has made just one signing for Chelsea, Romelu Lukaku. We know that he also wanted Erling Haaland. Whether Lukaku was his 1st choice signing or not, only he would know.
It all starts with the results on the pitch. Tuchel has delivered a Champions League and Super Cup in his first eight months with a side that struggled massively under Frank Lampard. The same group of players is still struggling in front of goal, even now with a £97 Million incentive. Some of these Chelsea signings may not have been tailored for the demand of the premier league, and that is okay. It’s up to the manager to do what he can with what he has. Tuchel has been doing just that.
Now it’s time to trust in him and allow him to make some decisions to plan for the long term. Patience is critical in this element, from the fans and the board.
It took Klopp four years to achieve the Champions League glory and five for the Premier League. It took Guardiola one year to stomp his dominance over England, but he has still yet to deliver on the Champions League.
I see Thomas Tuchel becoming the best of both worlds, but that is dependant on whether the Chelsea fan base and the board decide to remain patient with the German.
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