Tuchel facing a selection dilemma for the Super Cup ahead of a “demanding” season

The European Champions are back in competitive football after two and a half months, which didn’t seem like a long time with plenty of football (Euros) and sports (Olympics) to keep us entertained. And in fact, in many ways it really wasn’t that long at all, with many of last season’s key players arriving late for the preseason due to international commitments, and still lacking in fitness. for the game.

As we face Europa League winner Villarreal tomorrow night at Windsor Park with the UEFA Super Cup on the line – the only European trophy that has eluded Chelsea during Roman rule so far – the Head coach Thomas Tuchel is facing a pretty significant selection headache, which he says won’t go away anytime soon thanks to what looks to be a very busy and demanding season ahead (which is of course what we want to compete for all possible trophies).

“Tomorrow we come with a team with players who have actually had an internal team game for 45 minutes, and we come with players who have been training for five weeks and four games in the legs. We were often on the pitch twice a day for double sessions, we had to split the groups and then we had the option of bringing a lot of guys back on loan to Cobham so that we could provide a good football training and not just a physical work.

“Overall we did our best and I had fantastic support. We are coming to this point and playing an important game, which is good for us but for many players the preparation for a very demanding season – especially for the Club World Cup in December – will continue in the coming weeks. . Of course, we will have a lot of players in much better shape after the next international break.

“[This] is our first competitive game. We have to consider all the scenarios because there might be extra time, we might even play 120 minutes. We’ll have some practice today and maybe some of the guys will start. Then we have to have a scenario in mind that ends the game, who is best to enter the pitch, who could influence from the bench, who is more comfortable to start. This is the challenge today but it is important not to get lost in all these thoughts because it is a competitive game. It’s not just about sharing minutes, this is the first title we want to win.

In just six months under Tuchel, Chelsea placed in the top four, reached the FA Cup final and won the Champions League, earning the gaffer a well-deserved contract extension.

This has undoubtedly raised the bar for the coach and the players to at least maintain, but hopefully improve last season’s performance – especially if some quality additions are made to the squad as well.

Photo by Catherine Ivill / Getty Images

Tuchel knows the scale of the task ahead and the dangers inherent in the job, but all he can do is focus on the things he can control and get his players to keep following him. with the same dedication, the same attitude and the same commitment as last season.

“It doesn’t sound like pressure because that’s what we demand of ourselves, me first and foremost. I demand to improve myself every day, to use my experience and to be the best coach I can be every day.

“I want to lead by example to enter Cobham with a good mood and energy and ready to continue the journey together. It’s not over, it’s just started and I hope it will be a long journey. Courage now is to rise to the challenge, does anyone have a recipe for doing better after a Champions League win? I don’t know, it was my first victory, so I think the courage is to rise to the challenges, step up and keep demanding.

“We have things to develop and improve, there were things that were very strong last season and we have to maintain this level. We must, clearly, rebuild the same spirit that put us in a position to achieve these results. There are a lot of different things to do and the most important thing is not to lose sight of it by overthinking the pressure and expectations.

-Thomas Tuchel; source: Football.London

It’s time to kick off the new season with a European trophy!