Tag: Thomas Tuchel

Romelu Lukaku’s timely return means exciting three-horse title race is still alive

Romelu Lukaku’s timely return means exciting three-horse title race is still alive

What a difference a Lukaku-full Chelsea makes.

Thomas Tuchel has proved he can win the Champions League without a prolific striker, yet repeating the trick in the Premier League looks an altogether much tougher task.

But, possessing one as classy and as pure in goalscoring in the form of Romelu Lukaku, then that task becomes more easier.

Much of Chelsea’s issues up-front from last season reared its ugly head once again in the first-half against Aston Villa. When Villa took the lead, Chelsea were staring down the barrel of an unfortunate failed title charge.

Despite scoring from the penalty spot before half-time, Chelsea struggled to trouble Villa’s back-line. Looking lifeless in attack, lacking in any real cutting edge and ruthlessness. Christian Pulisic – with no fault of his own – has started Chelsea’s previous two games as the leading frontman and its proved – quite possible by his own admission – absolutely fruitless.

Against Villa, it was the same problems, for much of the first half at least. When Chelsea had possession, much of it was in front of the Villa rearguard rather than in-behind, and its why Villa sat so comfortably when out of possession.

Like much of his Chelsea teammates, Pulisic is a player who needs the ball to feet and defenders to run at but he couldn’t do that centrally. Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa enjoyed a comfortable first-half and there are very few players who could dominate them both physically. Pulisic provided no threat to the defending order; like a schoolkid in a playground easily brushed aside trying his best to play against men.

It was a complete mismatch. Tuchel realised that issue, and took a big risk at half-time deciding to bring on a player who’s been troubled by injuries and Covid-related issues in recent weeks, but 45 minutes later, it proved a risk well worth taking.

Step forward Chelsea’s £97million man.

Much of the discussion around Romelu Lukaku’s return to Stamford Bridge has been about how he’ll fit in such a rigid, organised and defensively controlled system. Though, after 45 swift minutes, those debates were quickly put to bed, and became more of a question as to how the system could tailor to Lukaku’s needs. In actual fact, it doesn’t need to.

Lukaku has proved time and time again – amidst all the negativity and reservations surrounding his playing style – that he is one of the purest goalscorers in the world. He is an out-and-out striker by modern standards, but as his header to put Chelsea in front proved, the Belgian’s qualities rest beyond the traditional expectations of a standard marksman.

His awareness of space, speed of thought, mixed with a deadly instinct in-an around the penalty area are qualities that Chelsea so desperately needed to take that next step in their development under Thomas Tuchel. It’s why the powers that be, decided to break the bank and spend all of about £100million to secure his signature.

If you take a closer look at his goal against Villa, you don’t need any reminders of how potent and so alive Lukaku is in the 18-yard-box. His movement so swift and so deceptive. Mings thought he’d had the ball in his sights to head it clear, but Lukaku had other ideas, quickly stepping in front of the England international before guiding a deft header past the helpless Emiliano Martinez to put Chelsea in front.

To be honest, four months into his return, with 12 starts in Chelsea’s 18 Premier League games things haven’t gone quite to plan. It’s been difficult to discern whether those attributes he’s been celebrated for in Italy had fully translated during his return to the English top-flight. But on Sunday, as Chelsea recorded a much needed win – their first in three to address a recent small blip – it was so evidently clear the old traditional values of centre-forward play that Lukaku holds so dear, values that he revels in will see him thrive as a potent and unique weapon in Tuchel’s armoury.

The speed, power and ruthless edge the Belgian showed to break away in added time, winning the Chelsea’s second penalty on the day converted by Jorginho was exactly what Chelsea have desperately needed for all of about a year.

“Throughout the years, my movement in the box has been better”, he said with such pride and confidence at the end of his 45-minute cameo that earned him man of the match. “I try to be less static and try to be on the move all the time.”

While Manchester City wreak havoc without a pure no.9, Chelsea thought they could do the same, but its clear they aren’t quite on the same technical wavelength. They need a no.9 and Lukaku is the man to lead them forward.

For such a complete and cerebral goalscorer, the simple elements remain a point of pride and reference for Lukaku. He discussed his pleasure at that late burst to win Chelsea’s second penalty: “I think that’s one of my preferred actions, running into space and using my speed and my power.”

Lukaku is unlike any other, especially in such an immensely talented Chelsea squad. There’s the argument that the most organised and controlled teams are the ones who need forward who can act outside such tactical requirements. Strikers like Lukaku need their independence, they need not be controlled and Tuchel realizes that, hence his desperation at putting him in so soon against Aston Villa.

Draws against a fragile Manchester United, followed by a 3-2 defeat to London rivals West Ham, then four points dropped against Everton and Wolves. A profound dip in form that turned a three-point cushion into a nine point deficit by 5.30pm on Boxing Day. The Belgian had been restricted to just 77 minutes split across those four games as his comeback was further impacted by a bout of Covid, which meant missing games against Everton and Wolves. Two games that were crying out for a plan B so good as Lukaku.

With him on the pitch, players like Mount, Ziyech, Hudson-Odoi and Havertz have that reference point in attack. His 45 minutes against Aston Villa underlined his worth and importance to Tuchel.

The move for Lukaku was meant to give Chelsea the firepower to take down City and Liverpool in the title race. With the Belgian fit and firing, more determined, hungry and on-form, he could be the difference maker. More dropped points on Sunday might have seen the Blues left adrift, but Lukaku has pulled them back and turned the momentum around; after a momentary blip, Lukaku may well have now reignited a fire in Chelsea’s flailing title charge.

Whisper it quietly, the exciting three-horse Premier League title between City, Liverpool and Chelsea may still be alive with Lukaku’s return.

Mount, Foden and Grealish could be the defining ingredients for England this summer

Mount, Foden and Grealish could be the defining ingredients for England this summer

Is this the year the England football team finally delivers a major international tournaments to its coveted waters? That’s the million-dollar question so regularly asked before every major tournament England grace. It’s become a tiresome question for many England fans, even for those who have no form of affiliation to England.

Over the past decade, so few managers have tried and unfortunately suffered under the weight of expectation; Sven-Göran Eriksson, Fabio Capello and Roy Hodgson are just three of a considerable list of England managers who failed to successfully build a winning team filled with great individual talents.

Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney, David Beckham, Ashley Cole, Sol Campbell, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Gascoigne, Lineker, and Hoddle are names which garnered such huge optimism and hope that one day England may just match the lofty heights of that fairytale 1966 World Cup winning squad. However, as good as they were, they failed so miserably.

Is it down to the quality of coaching, is it the grueling English media pressure, or is it that our players just simply cannot fulfil their undoubted club potential on a more grandeur international stage?

Whatever the solution may be, current England manager Gareth Southgate – a former unfortunate victim himself of England’s past failures as a player – has marginally managed to navigate and manipulate some of those pressures and expectations and use them for some kind of good, leading England to the semi-finals at the World Cup three years ago, building a side capable of matching the likes of Germany, France, Portugal and Spain.

Now, the question is, heading into this summers Euros, can England finally go that one step further and deliver on the promise that so many of their current footballing prospects and stars bring? It genuinely feels different now and it isn’t just about that usual optimism that we cling to but there’s now an assurance, a confidence springing from the calibre of uniquely gifted footballers that have burst onto the scene over the past few years. Yes, we had the Gerrard’s, the Rooney’s the Lampard’s before but their time came and went.

The players at our disposal now hold a unique kind of ingredient, a confidence that is even greater than before. Gareth Southgate himself admitted this week his head will be on a platter if this England squad fail to reach the latter stages once again. Indeed, it will be.

There is a different feel to this current squad, blessed with players representing a new breed of generational English talents. Players who could finally provide the X-Factor England have been so desperately crying out for, for a long while. Kane, Rashford, Sterling, Maguire, Alexander-Arnold, James, Sancho, Rice, the list goes on. These players are built differently, you could argue they are more “pure” and “street” footballers than those we’ve had before.

Though, three players who give off those unique characteristics, who fans will be so heavily reliant on this summer, who won’t crumble under such weight and pressure but in fact, have the ability to knuckle down and thrive under it: Mason Mount, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish. How Gareth Southgate manages to maximize their potential and best make use of them this summer is a whole different matter entirely. However, they are such sublime individual talents Southgate and any manager coming after him, just simply cannot ignore.

These three players are indeed the defining ingredients, the difference-makers, the kind of players that could finally lead the nation to glory, if not this summer, then in the near future. What’s so key within England’s current crop of stars is the versatility, the ability to perform and become effective in a range of positions, no matter the system the manager deploys.

England’s best footballers before were, almost without exception, conditioned to play one role and one role alone. Arguably, that’s why the so called “golden generation” failed – they simply could not work together, there was no cohesion, no flexibility and its why England so often flattered to decieve. It remains to be seen how Southgate plans mesh his talents into a winning unit, but its almost impossible to imagine something similar to before – in respect of suitability – happening again. The panache and pizzazz of Foden, Grealish and Mount simply means there can be no room for such ignorance.

Throughout this season, Mount and Foden in particular have flourished in a variety of roles, owing to their excellent tactical awareness and understanding as well as their unique footballing gifts. Their application and adaptation to roles which may be perceived as uncomfortable for them by some, has been nothing short of brilliant this season. Mount has operated as a No.10 behind two forwards, as a left-sided player drifting in the half-space, as a roaming No.8, and most regularly under Thomas Tuchel as an inside-left player in a 3-4-2-1 formation.

For Foden, you can argue has performed in similar roles for Guardiola in a 4-3-3 shape. It may be his future position is that of a No.8 breaking from midfield but he’s become at home from the left-hand side, and even as a false-nine. In City’s mesmerising 4-1 win over Liverpool at Anfield, Foden played expertly in four different positions, including up-front.

Grealish, the same. The Villa superstar can perform in a variety of roles such as a No.8, a No.10 or as an inside-forward on the left and right. He’s so devastatingly effective where ever he is on the pitch. With such options available to Gareth Southgate regarding their versatility and positioning, there’s no room for a Lampard/Gerrard situation to somehow occur.

Mount, Foden and Grealish are, of course, a different breed of footballers.

All three of their defining qualities is the ability to take possession of the ball, and express themselves. The ability to take responsibility when in possession, and force the issue, to make something happen in attack. Also, most notably their appreciation of space. Mason Mount is a defining example. A player who is constantly calculating opponents’ positions and assessing which spaces he needs to operate in order to hurt the opposition. It is a quality and an area of his game that somehow goes unnoticed to many, but certainly not to his manager. That’s why Tuchel has entrusted Mount to take the lead for Chelsea in attack.

Foden, with 14 goals and 8 assists to his name for Manchester City this season – a stunning return – appears less determined to receive ball in space in comparison to Mount but he’s so brilliant and so sublime to watch when taking passes on the half-turn and weaving past his markers with such unerring ease. Indeed, Foden’s quality in those situations is demonstrated by the willingness and confidence of his teammates to feed him even when he’s tightly marked. Mount and Foden’s abilities to scan space, their opponents and their teammates ahead of them are characteristics which are rarely seen in English footballers, or even appreciated.

The same goes for Grealish, although much of his work occurs often in more advanced areas. But, his ability to dribble his team out of trouble or to drive them into the attacking third is just simply a joy to watch. Grealish’s ability to break opposition lines and to influence the efforts and contributions of those around him is an unmatched quality. You’d rarely find such similar talents around Europe.

The confidence, aura, leadership and the audacity at which Grealish operates for Villa makes him without a doubt, one of the best players in the Premier League, and its even more telling that he doesn’t play for any of the division’s “top six” clubs. It’s absurd that Grealish still sat statistically as one of the top players for chances created and successful dribbles even after missing three months of football through injury.

Grealish may not start for England at the Euros due to his recent injury lay off, but he’s a wonderful option to have if things may not be falling England’s way in matches. A player who offers something completely different to Mount and Foden, but yet still offers the same levels of confidence and assuredness that opponents just cannot live with. That’s why England have a greater chance this summer.

In 2018, we didn’t have these luxuries, players who can break opposition lines, and dissect sturdy defences at will. We also have such unique gifts in Jadon Sancho too, lets not forget about his world-class abilities.

England have often failed to live up expectations because they just simply cannot match it with the best sides in major tournaments or that in games where they are expected to win, we just somehow shirk and fall under the weight of expectation. Mount, Foden and Grealish offer such flexibilities in our game to solve these recurring issues, that we simply cannot take them for granted.

It’s obviously questionable whether there is such things as an “English” footballing identity and the unnerving perception that English football “style” of football so often fails to match those of Germany, Spain, Portugal and France. However, the narrative is progressively changing. By virtue of the evolution of Premier League football, due to the identity and philosophies provided and developed by top-level coaches in the English top-flight right now, our players are benefitting heavily from these ideologies. Mount and Foden are fine examples, with both flourishing under the tutelage of Thomas Tuchel and Pep Guardiola respectively, where the emphasis is on patient build-up and tiki-taka football coupled with aggressive pressing. Those ideologies are increasingly being embedded into our current breed of English footballers, and its already benefitting our own understanding towards the game.

There is a chance now, that England, when coming up against the likes of Germany, Spain and France can go toe-to-toe with them on an equal playing field.

Through the unerring and rich talents of Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and Mason Mount, the style and perception of English players is being rewritten. Once England produced energetic and dynamic box-to-box midfielders as well as classic number 9s, now we are producing pure footballers, intelligent, all-round technical attackers who add such a wide range of flexibility and versatility to our game.

The direct comparisons between Mount, Foden and Grealish are inevitable but the pleas to stop the optimism, hope and hype surrounding these fresh and unique footballers are incredibly unnecessary. Why can’t we celebrate such fine and pure footballing prospects? Considering what came before them, its about time we appreciate how much English football has changed for the better.

Lets hope Gareth Southgate can expertly harness the unique footballing ingredients at our disposal and cook up a storm at the Euros this summer.

My England XI to start Euros opener against Croatia: