After pulling the trigger on club legend Frank Lampard, Chelsea are said to have fielded Thomas Tuchel as their replacement – but are they making a mistake by not chasing Massimiliano Allegri?
The Italian, who is currently not tied, would consider other options – this is according to Fabrizio Romano, but given the financial strength of the Blues and the attractiveness of the Premier League, it’s hard to believe they couldn’t convince the 53-year-old. -old to make the move if they really wanted to.
Thomas Tuchel is expected to become Chelsea’s new manager, confirmed. Frank Lampard will be officially sacked today – Tuchel accepted the #CFC job and should sign in the next few hours. ?
RB Lepzig won’t let Nagelsmann go now + Allegri is considering other options / clubs. https://t.co/KODPcJAFF5
– Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) 25 January 2021
Despite Tuchel being six years his junior, the former Juventus boss is a much more decorated coach having won six league titles and four Italian Cups.
Allegri is often praised for his tactical versatility; nowadays everyone is looking for a clear style, a philosophy if you like, however in the case of the Livorno-born coach he has proven he can be successful and adaptable.
During his time in Turin, he mainly worked with three systems: 3-5-2, 4-3-1-2 and 4-3-3. Five of his aforementioned six league titles have been won in consecutive seasons, so who could challenge his methods?
While he’s open to making changes regarding how his team attacked, one thing Allegri never shied away from was compact form when he was out of possession. He has found a balance and that is, in my opinion, why his team has become one of the most formidable in Europe.
Having reached two Champions League finals in three seasons, losing to Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively, you could certainly argue that he failed to crown their domestic dominance with the ultimate European match prize.
Thomas Tuchel’s seemingly imminent Chelsea appointment makes it look like it could be geared towards them trying to make the most of the German pair they spent £ 119.7million on – but is it the right one approach?
When the club decided to break the bank in order to bring in Kai Havertz and Timo Werner among others, they would have expected the team to challenge at the top of the division, and not in ninth place after playing half of their match.
Arguably, one of Frank Lampard’s biggest challenges this season has been finding a system in which those big-money signings could thrive and justify their transfer fees. One of Allegri’s strengths is his adaptability and this allows him to make the tactical adjustments necessary to get the most out of the players at his disposal.
One of the common misconceptions you often hear about the Italian is that his style of football is boring and that is just not true. Under Allegri, Juventus have played some great stuff at times – even before Cristiano Ronaldo arrived from Real Madrid.
Tuchel is undoubtedly a talented coach and after taking Paris Saint-Germain to the Champions League final last season, you could say his sacking last month was tough. If he is to be confirmed as Chelsea’s new boss, Roman Abramovich will have brought in another top manager to add him to the list of big names who have led the club during his possession.
However, given the pressing need to make the most of the current crop and improve tactically right away, perhaps the Italian would have been the smarter choice. Only time will tell if the club will regret their decision to prioritize the German.
