A home game against Burnley will always hold a special place in Thomas Tuchel’s heart, for that was the fixture in which he tasted victory as Chelsea boss for the first time. Nine months on, Tuchel has been reflecting on the progress his team have made since then, as well as underlining the spirit in the Blues camp.
It was on a cold winter’s day during the third UK lockdown that Tuchel watched his new club beat the Clarets 2-0 at Stamford Bridge courtesy of goals from wing-backs Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso.
A clean sheet and goals from all over the pitch was a sign of things to come, with the Blues racking up shutouts and winning the Champions League by the campaign’s end. With Burnley again making the visit to south-west London, this time to face the league leaders, Tuchel was asked at his press conference today how far his side have come.
‘Quite a long way,’ was his answer.
‘We looked at the game again [this week] to understand what we did, what we did good, and where we have come from.
‘It was very quick. We had our second match against Burnley with only some days to prepare. Now we know each other much, much better. It was a nice journey so far.
‘It’s a very united group and a pleasure to manage. You can only be successful if you like your teams and you become a part of it. It’s nice to be here every day.’
Speaking in more detail about the mood at Cobham, Tuchel stressed the need to find the right balance between fun, such as the basketball drill he executed so impressively yesterday, and serious match preparation.
‘We know when a game arrives you need a mix: to enjoy the moment, to feel free, to be creative and courageous, but at the same time be aware you know what is coming and how hard it is going to be in the Premier League.
‘When you see us playing basketball like we did in yesterday’s training, it is the moment. It is still two days after the game, two days before the game. We don’t want to give too much load, and still have the boys out there enjoying what they’re doing. It’s a big part to laugh together and enjoy our time.’
One man who is not in Tuchel’s squad this season but could well be in the near future is Conor Gallagher, a shining star during the first three months of his Crystal Palace loan.
Tuchel is delighted with what he has seen from afar, but has no intention of ending the midfielder’s loan early to bring him into the Chelsea squad.
‘It’s not hard to follow him because he’s standing out every single match,’ said the boss.
‘All the credit to him. We had long talks in pre-season. We could imagine he stays and fights for his place here. We decided all together when the talks came up with Patrick Vieira to go to Crystal Palace.
‘Once he understood the role he could have in the club and here in the Premier League, he wanted to take the challenge. Everybody agreed on it. We thought this would be the right thing to do.
‘You need a bit of luck and a lot of quality,’ he added. ‘Conor’s heart is so big. He loves football. You could wake him up at 4 o’clock at night and he will start running and sprinting, and collecting balls and winning duels. This is what he does.
‘You can see he feels good. He has the support of the club and manager, but honestly right now it’s the beginning of November, and he’s an important member of the Crystal Palace squad. It’s good where he is. There is no need to change this. We are fully aware of it and we are happy he feels so good and is such a huge part of the club.’