It is quite common to witness football fans gushing over tactics like Tiki-taka or gegenpressing, spending countless hours attempting to gain insights by watching highlights. Popular managers like Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp enjoy the love and adulation of millions. What is however uncommon is an opportunity to interact with a fan, who has eyes only for Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel.
Sahil Dani, the man being referred to describes himself as a proud ‘Tuchel Fanboy’, hailing the manager as one who merges the elegance of Guardiola with Klopp’s aggression in an elegant cohesion.
“Tuchel can be described as a mix of both Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola. Such an attribute is quite rare. The German’s tactics reflect an urge to enforce gegenpressing while maintaining an emphasis on possession-based football. He is a genius,” the 19-year-old enthuses.
Sahil further finds similarities between the approach encouraged by the Chelsea manager and legendary Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger.
“I have always admired Wenger’s desire to experiment and provide regular opportunities to emerging talent. Tuchel shares the same mentality, which makes me elated.”
Let’s take a trip down memory lane back to 2014, in order to understand Sahil’s journey in greater detail.
Dortmund’s exciting football left me mesmerized
“I started watching football in 2014, though I wasn’t a regular follower back then. After finishing my school, I slowly started watching the game extensively. It was the 2016/17 season of the Bundesliga, and I remember switching channels in search of any interesting match. Borussia Dortmund were battling it out against Schalke, in an enthralling clash. Dortmund’s exciting football left me mesmerized. That is the day when I fell in love with Thomas Tuchel.”
“In order to understand Tuchel better, I watched every game of Dortmund that season. The sheer excitement that I experienced watching that side cannot be described. Tuchel guaranteed a goal-fest in every clash. It was an all-out attack from the first whistle to the final one,” he gushes.
Sadly, the German manager does not get the credit he deserves from the majority of the fans, forcing Sahil to step in and defend Tuchel.
“People on social media hardly know anything about him. I am forced to step in. During his previous stint, a misinformed fan of Paris Saint-Germain started badmouthing Tuchel, which is when I was forced to barge in. The club had just been defeated 2-1 by Borussia Dortmund, which might have been a key reason behind this reaction. However, it is important to understand the reasoning behind Tuchel’s tactical modifications before making any statement.”
The German coach recently won the Champions League, whose absence Sahil believes played truant previously. The 19-year-old is confident that Tuchel can go on to win the elite trophy on more occasions and emerge as a legendary manager if backed.
“Tuchel definitely has what it takes to become an elite”
“The majority of the fans consider trophies as a medium to judge a manager’s capabilities. This does not hold true in the case of managers like Marcelo Bielsa and would not have been accurate even with regard to Tuchel in case he had not enjoyed success. The German definitely has what it takes to become an elite, as evident from the trophies won at PSG and Champions League success at Chelsea. He just needs to be backed. Tuchel has a very bright future ahead.”
Being a fan of the former PSG manager has further helped Sahil personally, enhancing the 19-year-old’s knowledge of the game and the finer aspects involved.
“I wish to become a coach some day, which makes observing Tuchel a very enriching experience. The importance of diagonal passes, verticality in football and the significance of positional gameplay would have certainly been lost to me otherwise,” he concludes.
Written By: Marcelino Da Silva.
