Does Thomas Tuchel Have Anything to Prove in His Sophomore Season?

Not many managers are as comfortable as Thomas Tuchel. He delivered the Champions League to Stamford Bridge by defeating Pep Guardiola’s record-breaking Manchester City side. As far as job security goes, he’s on the same level as the Spaniard right now.

OFFICIAL: Thomas Tuchel extends his Chelsea contract until June 2024.

Fully deserved 👏 pic.twitter.com/Ci81mofkQw— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 4, 2024

Going into the new season, the excitement is building in West London. Fans believe this Chelsea team can achieve something great. The German says he isn’t bothered about the demands being laid at his door. Whether he should be or not is a different question, though, because the sophomore season doesn’t always go to plan.

The Belief of the Fans

Tuchel has everything a coach wants from the club’s fans – their support. Winning over the terraces is half of the battle as the manager needs to prove he is the correct person for the job. However, it can work both ways. The fans’ expectations can be very hard to deliver.

The way the Blues finished last season means they are among the favourites to challenge City for their crown. Tuchel won the Champions League by besting Guardiola and he barely dropped points after his appointment in January, which is why the Premier League betting makes them second-favourites for the Premier League at 5/1.

But they are hard achievements to repeat since the players will need to focus and find a way to spark their title challenge into life. Playing Arsenal, Liverpool, City, and Tottenham within the first six fixtures isn’t the ideal start to a campaign.

Plateauing as Rivals Improve

Lots of people will look at the squad and announce that Chelsea don’t need to enter the transfer market. Tuchel has proved he can get the best out of this crop of footballers. That logic changes when the competition attempts to go to the next level. Currently, Chelsea are one of the only top clubs to stagnate.

Everyone is aware that City’s squad now includes Jack Grealish, while Man United boasts Jadon Sancho. Liverpool’s hierarchy, meanwhile, has been quiet, yet they still bagged Ibrahima Konaté as competition for the central defensive places.

Tuchel should only bring in players if they will enhance the team. Still, he may have to prove to the critics that he can extrapolate even more from his players. Otherwise, the investment of the other top-six clubs could leave Chelsea in the rear-view mirror.

A Ruthless Owner

Roman Abramovich has a reputation for making ruthless decisions. He’s like Florentino Perez in that regard. It has worked, to a point, because Chelsea Football Club has experienced its most successful years under this stewardship.

However, the understanding that Tuchel could be out on his ear within six months if things don’t go to plan this season must be stressful. The Russian billionaire even met Tuchel in the central circle after Chelsea’s Champions League win to discuss the future.

Chelsea’s first couple of matches isn’t the only problem on the horizon. The West Londoners’ pre-season has been disrupted by several of their top players going deep in Euro 2020. Without the likes of Mason Mount and Jorginho at full fitness, things could go south very quickly.

Does Tuchel have anything to prove? He does if he wants to make Chelsea the top team in the country. Does he have the skill to do it? Absolutely.