Jorginho and three other players whose Chelsea careers under Lampard were almost ruined
Every manager has the way they set up their team, how they want to play, and the kind of players that suit their philosophy. This is why some players do well under some managers and then find it difficult when a new manager comes in.
Chelsea do have a large squad, and former Chelsea boss Frank Lampard had the core of his squad that he preferred, but the appointment of Thomas Tuchel has brought another dimension to the playing squad.
We’ve come up with four Chelsea players who have benefitted the most from Tuchel’s appointment.
Marcos Alonso: Of all the Chelsea players, it’s the Spaniard who has benefitted the most from the appointment of Thomas Tuchel. Alonso was set to leave the club in the January transfer window, but the 30-year-old has now won his place back in the squad. Having been third choice left-back under the previous boss, Alonso had been frozen out of the team since September when he was hooked off by Frank Lampard at half-time against West Brom. It was claimed that the Chelsea boss launched a verbal tirade at Alonso in the dressing room at full-time, as his errors cost the team.
The Spaniard is now enjoying a fine run in the team, and seems to be Tuchel’s preferred choice, even ahead of Ben Chilwell.
Jorginho: The former Napoli man is another man that was gradually losing relevance in the Chelsea team. The Italy international is never known for his defensive qualities, and was always exposed in Frank Lampard’s 4-3-3 system. However, he has now started all three of Chelsea’s games under Thomas Tuchel, and his shift in the middle of the park beside Mateo Kovacic, has been nothing short of praiseworthy.
Antonio Rudiger: The German international was one of the players rumoured to have wanted former boss Frank Lampard out of Stamford Bridge – a move he has since denied, with teammates like Tammy Abraham and Cesar Azpilicueta showing him some support.
The 27-year-old had lost his place in the Chelsea first team, with Kurt Zouma and Thiago Silva preferred in defence. Rudiger eventually returned to Frank Lampard’s starting XI for his final two league games, before his sacking.
Cesar Azpilicueta: The Chelsea skipper has been captain dependable in the Chelsea squad for many years. He’s the only Chelsea player who was part of the Blues team when the old guard were around, so his mentality is definitely rock solid. He was used in multiple positions last season by Frank Lampard — as a right-back, a centre-back and also a left-back. However, the 31-year-old was restricted to games this season, with Lampard preferring young fullback Reece James in his stead.
However, Azpilicueta seems a player in form under new boss Thomas Tuchel, and scored a beautiful goal in the 2-0 win over Burnley. He has shown in recent games that his Chelsea career is far from being over.
The players now have a new job of impressing the new boss, and Tuchel seems keen to reward the best players with playing opportunities.