Thomas Tuchel is intense but the English players will love his pure coaching | Thomas Tuchel

One of Thomas Tuchel’s old bosses calls him a “footballaholic”. The image shows a man who spends every minute of the day thinking about the tactical intricacies of the game. No wonder Tuchel has been quick to make good on his promise to make Chelsea a team nobody would want to play in after inheriting a broken unit from Frank Lampard in January 2021.

Four months later they were European champions, defeating Pep Guardiola and Manchester City in a thrilling final in Porto after executing Tuchel’s plan to perfection. It was a remarkable achievement. Chelsea were struggling in mid-table when the German, who had agreed to become England’s next manager, took over. They reached goals at alarmingly rapid rates. Undeterred, Tuchel immediately addressed the shortcomings and introduced a 3-4-2-1 system that made Chelsea the stingiest team in Europe.

Order was restored, they climbed back into the top four of the Premier League and reached the FA Cup final (a strangely subdued performance against Leicester at Wembley was a rare misstep), but only into the knockout stages. They really shined in the Champions League games. Chelsea were efficient and determined in victories against Atlético Madrid, Porto and Real Madrid, conceding just two goals in six games and maintaining this resilience against City.

Guardiola was outwitted. Chelsea were unassailable, dangerous on the counterattack and dominant in midfield. N’Golo Kanté made the most of a rare injury-free period and Jorginho, considered too slow to succeed in English football, had the best year of his career thanks to Tuchel’s coach.

Jorginho benefited more than most from Chelsea’s switch to a back three. However, Tuchel is not associated with this formation. He chose this because he felt that the aging Thiago Silva lacked the pace to play as a central defender in a back four, especially when Jorginho was in midfield. Much of Chelsea’s attacking threat was provided by young English full-backs Ben Chilwell and Reece James. It was no coincidence that the fight for the title collapsed the following season after Chilwell and James suffered long-term injuries.

Chelsea were still at their best in individual cases. Tuchel was more than capable of holding his own against Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp in the 2022 Carabao Cup and FA Cup finals. Chelsea were unlucky to lose both games on penalties after thrilling goalless draws.

As a cup team, they lacked the creativity necessary to keep up with City and Liverpool in the league. Tuchel played with a more open system at times, but the fundamental problem was a lack of individual quality. Tuchel didn’t have Mo Salah or Kevin De Bruyne. His attackers were too inconsistent. Chelsea drew too many easy games and Tuchel soon regretted spending £97.5 million on Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku, who was supposed to be the final piece of the puzzle.

Tuchel’s main target for ninth place was Harry Kane. However, Tottenham never sold to Chelsea. Tuchel had to wait until he was at Bayern Munich to sign Kane and he is set for a reunion with the striker at international level.

Kane was successful for Tuchel last season. Claims that the 51-year-old’s controlled football limits attacking players may be exaggerated. If it’s based on some frustrating performances at Chelsea, then it’s worth noting that England have a superior and stronger forward formation. Tuchel tends to find the right structure. He will not overload the attack and will prioritize balance in midfield. Tuchel wanted to bring Declan Rice to Chelsea and perhaps he sees something of Jorginho in the dapper Angel Gomes. Like Gareth Southgate, he will not be afraid to deploy a back three if the situation requires it.

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Players will find his sessions entertaining and innovative. Tuchel is a pure coach who loves the smell of the grass. He is demanding and intense in training but he has bonded with the Chelsea team. Mateo Kovacic, who played for Guardiola, is amazed at Tuchel’s tactical knowledge. Mason Mount played the best football of his career.

As for the media, English journalists loved Tuchel for his intelligence, humor, insight and openness. Difficult questions will not upset him. It was not difficult for him to take on a statesmanlike role when Roman Abramovich was forced to sell Chelsea following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

That was, of course, the turning point in his relationship with Chelsea. Tuchel was sacked after falling out with the new owners and there are concerns about his personality. He has a reputation for falling out with his bosses, although it is encouraging that disagreements over transfers with England will not be part of the equation.

There will be no interference from above. The task will be to select the right players, maintain the culture and somehow get England over the finish line in a tournament. It will be encouraging for the FA that Tuchel beat Guardiola when things were heating up. They will trust that Super Tommy Tuchel knows exactly what is needed. Probably not everyone will be on offense and no one will be on defense.