Tuchel’s coaching staff working as one to keep Chelsea at Champions League-winning levels

Thomas Tuchel didn’t bring much more than just the bare minimum with him during his whirlwind move from Paris to London in January — either in terms of earthly possessions or in terms of coaching support. Only three new faces joined alongside him, his two assistants, Arno Michels and Zsolt Lőw, and also video and data analyst Benjamin Weber.

But together with the remaining staff from Lampard’s tenure, including first-team coaches Joe Edwards and Anthony Barry, Tuchel & Co have formed quite a cohesive, collaborative, and obviously successful unit, as Lőw recently told Hungarian TV.

“We do everything together, from the match plan and the team selection, to the opposition scouting and the match analysis. We are always together, working and collaborating, when we’re at the training ground.

“During the match, we also discuss as a group what we’re seeing, and during half-time, discuss what we could change based on our analysis. Of course, the manager has the last word, but the process always involves everyone — so I can always give my opinions and ideas. And then the head coach, Thomas Tuchel, makes the final decision.”

One of the frequent topics surely up for discussion on a regular basis is keeping the players motivated and focused after the massive success of last season. Tuchel himself had hinted at this challenge early on, and it remains a big focus, according to Lőw.

“We’ve taken the team to the very top. But it’s important to keep Chelsea at this level, and also to improve.

“The summer transfer window was very successful since we were able to bring in players we very much needed [but] after the Champions League triumph, it’s very difficult and a great challenge for the players to keep their motivation — but we’re constantly working on this.”

-Zsolt Lőw; source: Digi Sport via Origo

The difference between a good season and a great season — or, say, beating Manchester City or not beating Manchester City — can come down to things like motivation, confidence, and belief.

Just gonna have to keep turning it up to 11.