Thomas Tuchel’s Tactics and Coaching Philosophy

Thomas Tuchel has been heavily linked with the manager’s job at Manchester United if INEOS decide to replace Erik Ten Hag but would Tuchel be a good fit for United?

Let’s breakdown his career achievements, tactics, style of play and coaching philosophy.

EARLY CAREER AND CLUB MANAGEMENT 

With a career spanning 17 years in senior management, Thomas Tuchel has been manager at FC Augsburg II, Mainz 05, Borussia Dortmund, PSG, Chelsea & Bayern Munich.

Tuchel began senior management in 2007 at Augsburg II (Augsburg Reserves) where in just one season (07/08) he managed to finish 4th in the Regionalliga Süd (the third tier of German football at the time).

Tuchel then coached at Mainz from 2009 to 2014. His best league finish was in the 10/11 season in 5th, taking the club to Europa League qualification. Only four Bundesliga sides scored more goals than Mainz’s 52.

Tuchel went onto replace Jurgen Klopp at Dortmund in 2015 and stayed for two seasons until 2017. In his first season, Dortmund reached the 2016 DFB-Pokal final, losing to Bayern Munich on penalties.

Tuchel’s Dortmund also lost a Europa League quarter final to Klopp's Liverpool but a second placed league finish in the Bundesliga meant Champions League football was secured for the following season. In the 16/17 season, Tuchel won the DFB Pokal trophy, reached the quarterfinals of the Champions League (eventually eliminated by Monaco) and finished 3rd in the Bundesliga. In 2018, not long after leaving Dortmund, Tuchel allegedly held talks with Bayern Munich however Chairman Uli Hoeness, opted against hiring Tuchel and appointed Niko Kovac as manager instead.

Later that year, Tuchel joined PSG and in his first season they won Ligue 1 with six weeks to spare, meaning Tuchel won the first league title of his career. Disappointment followed, with Manchester United dumping PSG out of the Champions League in the last 16. In his second season, PSG secured a domestic quadruple and reached the Champions League final, ultimately losing to Bayern Munich. In his third season in Paris, Tuchel was sacked on Christmas Eve with PSG sitting 3rd in Ligue 1. Conflict behind the scenes was reported with Tuchel and his relationship with the club board deteriorating to the point of being irreparable.

Shortly after leaving Paris, Tuchel found himself back in management, joining Chelsea in January 2021 on an 18 month contract. Tuchel became the first manager in Premier League history to keep 5 consecutive home clean sheets from the start of the season, and enjoyed a 14-game unbeaten streak to begin his Chelsea career. Chelsea finished 4th in the Premier League that season and Tuchel took them to the FA Cup final, losing to Brendan Rogers’ Leicester. It was Tuchel’s triumph in the Champions League final over Manchester City which cemented his success at Stamford Bridge. Tuchel had masterminded a tactical display to nullify Pep’s City and a wonderfully taken Kai Havertz goal ensured his team of underdogs were victorious. In February 2022 Chelsea won the FIFA club World Cup with an extra time win over Palmeiras and in May, Tuchel would take Chelsea to a second consecutive FA Cup final, again tasting defeat, losing 6-5 to Liverpool on penalties. 

His motherland was calling once again and Tuchel succeeded Julian Nagelsmann at Bayern Munich in March 2023, arriving with high expectations. Whilst he made a good start in the Bundesliga, Bayern were knocked out at the quarter-finals stage of both the DFB-Pokal (losing 2-1 to Freiburg) and the Champions League to Manchester City, losing 4-1 on aggregate.  Bayern stumbled over the line to an 11th consecutive Bundesliga title thanks to league leaders Dortmund only managing a draw at home to Mainz 05 on the final day of the season. This was Tuchel's third league title in his career.

His second season in charge turned out to be a challenging one. Beaten in the DFL Supercup to RB Leipzig in August and again eliminated from the DFB-Pokal by FC Saarbrücken in November didn’t sit well with Bayern fans and the board. Poor league form including back to back defeats from Bayer Leverkusen and VfL Bochum in February, meant Bayern already trailed Leverkusen by eight points. An announcement was made later the same month by the club stating Tuchel would ultimately leave Bayern at the end of the 2023–24 season. Despite reaching the Champions League semi finals, Bayern finished third in the Bundesliga, their worst league finishing position since 2010. Tuchel left Bayern with a record of 67 wins, 8 draws, and 16 defeats in 61 games, with a win percentage of 60%.

TACTICS AND COACHING PHILOSOPHY

A standout aspect of Tuchel's coaching style is his adaptability. The German shows great tactical flexibility depending on the opposition and the players at his disposal. He is often able to identify weaknesses in the opponent and plans meticulously for how we wants his teams to exploit them. Tuchel has the ability to get his message across to the players to either adapt in game, or stick to the game plan and execute it perfectly to get results. At every club he has managed, he instils great positional discipline in his players and is known for creating well organised sides.  He epitomises the modern-day manager, taking inspiration from both Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp’s philosophies. 

Tuchel blends elements of both mangers, focusing on disrupting the opposition’s play through  ‘Gegenpressing’ and aiming to control games. His teams will attempt to press high with intensity and force turnovers. Tuchel wants to control possession and the German favours technically proficient players including those who can play in tight spaces and can problem solve quickly.

His teams usually keep a high defensive line and apply pressure in advanced areas, seeking to dominate possession. Tuchel’s approach is fluid, often adapting formations depending on the game state. His players are versatile and well-drilled in various roles, allowing for seamless transitions between attacking and defensive phases. This tactical adaptability enables Tuchel's teams to control the game tempo and assert dominance on the pitch. Dynamic, relentless, and precise, Tuchel’s methods are all about control and fluidity.

Tuchel has not been afraid to experiment with multiple formations throughout his career.

At Mainz he would usually adopt a 4-2-3-1 and 4-1-2-1-2 shape.

When Tuchel took charge of Dortmund, he kept Klopp’s 4-3-3 for the most part but gradually reverted to 4-2-3-1.

At PSG, Tuchel used 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 with Edinson Cavani or Icardi often the focal point. He also experimented with 4-2-2-2 which gave enhanced freedom to both Di Maria and Neymar.

At Chelsea Tuchel preferred a back three using a 3-4-2-1 or 3-4-1-2 shape for the majority of his tenure. He utilised wing-backs in Alonso or Chilwell on the left and Reece James on the right to good effect and the team kept a compact defensive structure, particularly with protection from midfielders such as Kante, Kovacic and Jorginho at his disposal.

Julian Nagelsmann favoured a back three at Bayern and when Tuchel took charge as manager, he quickly changed this to a back four, opting for a 4-2-3-1 or 4-1-2-3 shape. Tuchel preferred this structure as the high line with the back three often meant Nagelsmann’s side were susceptible to a high volume of counter attacks. Tuchel again showed his tactical flexibility in the Champions League semi final in May 2024, using 4-4-2 v Real Madrid to nullify Bellingham whilst Kimmich and Laimer doubled up on Vini Junior. Tuchel’s Bayern were unlucky to not advance in that semi final contest and the German was disappointed he couldn’t quite make up for a poor Bundesliga season, finishing 18 points behind Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen and 1 point behind VfB Stuttgart.

Tuchel also recognises the importance of youth development and giving talented youngsters the opportunities in the first team. In an interview with Rio Ferdinand on BT Sport during his time at Chelsea, he claimed that he loved investing in the youth and how he will never stop pushing players in the academy. Tuchel claimed "I love it. Sometimes it brings out the best in the clubs and reminds also the clubs how good the academy is, and how much you can trust the young guys and how much they care. I will never stop pushing the guys from the academy. If you look at the big teams who were dominant in Europe, like you with Manchester United, you can name them. It was you with the Nevilles, Scholes, Ryan Giggs, and Beckham. These are the guys who can create a special bond also between the club and the supporters and the atmosphere around the team. If you see the guys from the academy, that they play there, it creates something special."

Below you can also see Tuchel’s average points per game according to FBREF at the clubs he has managed.

COACHING STYLE

Tuchel is undoubtedly a charismatic coach who will regularly use innovative and unusual training methods in his sessions. This is often referred to as ‘Differential’ Training and Tuchel takes inspiration from Wolfgang Schöllhorn who has coached numerous elite level athletes.

Take for example the below image where he has used more compact pitch markings (a heptagon shape) to reduce the width to play in. The intention is to encourage more dynamic passing, ensuring players don’t just have the option of the simple pass. At Chelsea he would also regularly have the players play with mini footballs to improve control and timing. He even had players hold tennis balls when playing training matches to avoid the inclination of pulling opposition players shirts during real game scenarios. These training methods also come well received by the players and adds and element of fun to the sessions. Tuchel wants to create an environment where players will not be afraid to be creative and instil a culture of thinking outside the box.

Of course with every manager there are concerns and Tuchel’s average tenure of just two and a half years spent at any club might have alarm bells ringing in the exec offices at Old Trafford. His charisma can also often be misinterpreted as ‘egotistical’ and the stories of his reluctance to accept influence from the board above, might cast a shadow of doubt in operating smoothly with the United hierarchy. His struggles to deliver with a talented Bayern Munich side in his most recent position also may have decreased his stock in some capacity but it we look past that, there is a very talented, capable and passionate manager underneath.

THOMAS TUCHEL AT MANCHESTER UNITED

In my opinion, Thomas Tuchel is someone I feel has a lot of the qualities needed to succeed as Manchester United manager. He is a great communicator and has the charisma to deal with the constant spotlight and scrutiny on the position. The 51 year old German has an impressive record of improving players and tactically he has competed with some of the best coaches in World Football. He is not afraid to think outside the box and can create a positive culture quickly, bringing players on the journey with him via a more personal approach. He makes players want to play for him.

Being an elite level manager isn’t just about what you do on the coaching field. Managers’ behaviour and the example they set to the players has been an important ingredient to success as far back as football goes. How they handle the media, their behaviour on the touchline, their man management style and the connection built with every individual. In the modern game you can’t just be a great tactician, you must have the ability to offer the required softer skills to achieve buy in from the team to work towards the common goal of the club.

Thomas Tuchel has all of this and is very a good fit for Manchester United.