What’s changed? How Tuchel made Kovacic Chelsea’s best player
When Chelsea confirmed Thomas Tuchel's appointment last month, it provided a clean slate for every player. The German has given a number of fringe stars the chance to impress and they have grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Cesar Azpilicueta, Jorginho and Marcos Alonso, three who struggled for game time under Frank Lampard, have since become key men for Tuchel in defence, midfield and at wing-back, respectively.
The biggest winner under Tuchel, though, has been a player who never really watched from the outside in. In the five games Tuchel has overseen after succeeding Lampard, Chelsea's best rated player is Mateo Kovacic, with a 7.65. Only Azpilicueta, Jorginho and Antonio Rudiger (all 450) have registered more league minutes than the Croat (434) since the 47-year-old was drafted in at Stamford Bridge.
"I love him," Tuchel beamed after Monday's 2-0 win over Newcastle, a victory in which Kovacic won the WhoScored man of the match award. "I could wake the guy at 3 at night and he will be at Cobham at 3.15 ready to give everything." The performance was Kovacic's best rated in a Premier League outing in 2020/21.
Having joined on loan from Real Madrid in 2018, a move that was made permanent 18 months ago, Kovacic has never really been able to gain consistency in a Chelsea side that was really lacking tactical direction under Lampard. Coupled with injury issues, the 26-year-old showed glimpses of his talent without being able to string together a decent run of form.
This supposed inconsistency meant that, while Kovacic was able to dominate games, these performances were few and far between, but since Tuchel came in last month, the midfielder looks to have turned a corner. What is interesting is that Kovacic has done so playing in a two-man midfield in Tuchel's three-man defensive setup rather than in a midfield three in a 4-3-3 system.
Previously, Kovacic operated alongside N'Golo Kante and Mason Mount in the middle of the park, but in doing so, the midfield was at times congested and that denied the former from playing to his greatest strength. There's no denying that Kovacic is one of the Premier League's best ball carriers, with 'dribbling' one of his five WhoScored strengths.
And yet, under Lampard this season, Kovacic completed just 15 dribbles across 14 appearances, at a dribble success rate of 75%. That is a fine return for any player, but in the five games under Tuchel, Kovacic has completed 16 dribbles, at a success rate of 88.9%. With the additional space in the middle of the park, the former Real Madrid man is able to burst forward to pry open defences and set Chelsea on the front foot.
He was more than capable of doing so under Lampard, but it appears as though Tuchel is demanding Kovacic seek to create for teammates when he does break forward rather than relying on others forge chances, adding another dimension to his game. Indeed, under Lampard, Kovacic made seven key passes in the Premier League this season. Under Tuchel, the Croatia international has created seven goalscoring opportunities.
While they are yet to translate to assists - Kovacic has just one assist to his name in the Premier League in 2020/21, that coming in a 4-1 win over Sheffield United - it's a clear indication as to the player's change in role under Tuchel. Of course, the change in shape means there is one fewer body in the middle of the park, which could have left the defence exposed, particular without Kante in the side.
However, Kovacic's tackles and interceptions combined per 90 have risen from 2.9 to 3.3 under Tuchel, with the Croat not shirking from carrying out the required defensive duties to ensure the Blues are not overrun. While Lampard used Kovacic in a deeper role in a 4-2-3-1 in his final Premier League game as Chelsea head coach to poor effect, the lack of cohesion meant it was no surprise to see the west London side overrun by a Leicester outfit as the tactically superior Brendan Rodgers masterminded a routine win over the capital outfit last month.
That being said, it's a small sample size upon which to judge Kovacic, while Chelsea's Premier League opponents under Tuchel haven't been the strongest. 9th-placed Tottenham are the highest placed side Chelsea have faced in five matches, and they are currently going through a dire run of form. Wolves came into their 0-0 draw with Chelsea on a six-game winless run, while Burnley, Newcastle and Sheffield United are all stuck in the battle to beat the drop.
The first real test for Chelsea and Kovacic will come in next week's Champions League tie with Atletico Madrid. This weekend, they travel to the south coast to face a Southampton side that, while on a six-game losing run, readily press their opponents in a battle that will test Kovacic.
Nevertheless, the early signs are positive that Kovacic is becoming a controlling presence in the Chelsea midfield rather than a player who lacked substance to establish himself as a pivotal member of this Blues squad.
