Glenn Hoddle explained the key alteration that Thomas Tuchel has encouraged at Chelsea which evaded Frank Lampard, speaking on the Glen Hoddle Footy show.
There are several points that could be picked out when comparing the tenures of both managers in charge of Chelsea.
Under Tuchel, the Blues are far more defensively assured and organised.
With Lampard, they were loose at the back but pretty open in attack.
Tuchel relies on the experienced members of his squad, whereas it was all about the youth revolution for Lampard.
However, Hoddle believed he had discovered the major transformation that’s been made between Lampard’s departure and Tuchel’s takeover.
“He’s (Tuchel) kept the same shape, that’s the difference,” said the former Chelsea boss.
“Frank used the back three at times, and then he’d shift it back to a four.
“Tuchel has kept this system with the back three, wing backs and two inside forwards. He’s got the right people to keep swapping.
“You’ve got runners in there and others who want the ball to feet.
“(Hakim) Ziyech and the likes of (Kai) Havertz, they’re not runners off the ball. But (Mason) Mount, (Callum) Hudson-Odoi, (Christian) Pulisic, they’re runners.
“He’s kept that shape and a spine to the team. They’re playing some brilliant stuff.”
Since Tuchel’s arrival, Chelsea have not yet wavered from a 3-4-2-1 formation.
This system stubbornness has served them so well, it would be foolish to drop it.
Where Lampard suffered was his inability to fall upon one formation.
He trialled 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, 5-4-1 and 3-4-2-1 among others, all with a varying degree of results.
His final days at Stamford Bridge were spent deploying a 4-3-3.
This was instantly scrapped when Tuchel swept into town.
Chelsea may not be free-scorers with this new ideology, but they’ve certainly clamped down on goals conceded.
Tuchel has proven he’s happy to change his personnel within the formation, even if the structure stays the same.
The Chelsea Chronicle View
I have to agree with Hoddle on this one.
Often under Lampard, his players looked slightly lost at times, especially the new signings.
With a cemented formation, Tuchel has got his squad all working in tangent with an exact idea of their roles.
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
