Chelsea have turned to Thomas Tuchel after Frank Lampard was sacked by the club on Monday following a poor run of results.
The Blues have acted fast with Wolves set to visit on Wednesday and here the PA news agency takes a look at what the German will look to do first at Stamford Bridge.
Turn around league slump
Last month Chelsea were top following a 3-1 win over Leeds, but a run of five defeats in eight Premier League games has dropped them off the pace. Even more worrying has been chastening defeats by Manchester City and Leicester, with both sides looking a cut above. With a favourable run of fixtures coming up, Tuchel will hope to find greater consistency again.
Help German duo fire
The start of Lampard’s demise could be charted back to mid-November. Timo Werner netted eight times in his first 12 games before the final international break of the year, but since he returned the big-money signing has scored only once in 14 appearances. Around the same time Kai Havertz, who cost £70 million from Bayer Leverkusen, contracted Covid-19 and has not looked the same since. Tuchel needs to get his countrymen firing.
Get senior players onside
Player power has been a term used to describe events at Stamford Bridge for the best part of a decade and it will no doubt have been involved in the decision to part ways with Lampard. A divisive character at times, Tuchel will be boosted by the relationships he already has with Thiago Silva and Christian Pulisic. Getting ultimate professional Cesar Azpilicueta on board early too will also help the 47-year-old turn their stuttering season around.
Up for the cup
🎁 @TTuchelofficial didn’t get the early birthday present he wanted, but leading @PSG_English to a domestic quadruple & into their 1st @ChampionsLeague final was some accomplishment 🏆
🎈 We hope the big German’s 47th birthday is as successful as PSG’s 47th season! 🔴🔵 pic.twitter.com/faTXkuK332
— FIFA.com (@FIFAcom) August 29, 2020
While Chelsea look a long way off the title, the unpredictability of this campaign means a fine run of results could quickly have them back in the mix. If that is not the case, however, then success in the cups could be used as a springboard for the new boss. At Paris St Germain, Tuchel claimed numerous trophies and he will target FA Cup and Champions League glory to kickstart his reign in west London.
