“He looks very nervous” – Emmanuel Petit raises doubt over Tuchel’s confidence at Chelsea

Thomas Tuchel doesn't appear to have the same confidence he once had at Chelsea. That's according to former Blues midfielder Emmanuel Petit, who has raised the alarm over the tactician's current situation at Stamford Bridge.

According to the Frenchman, the German tactician has started showing signs of losing his temper, similar to what happened during his time as PSG manager.

Emmanuel Petit told bookmakers.co.uk:

"What is happening on the pitch for Chelsea now reminds me of what it was like under Tuchel at Paris Saint-Germain when things started to go wrong there.

"Trouble started in newspapers, the pressure came on from the media and fans, powerful players within the club were questioning him all the time and it continued week after week. You could see that physically he had changed during the press conferences and on the bench in games."

One of the heated episodes involving Thomas Tuchel came when Romelu Lukaku aimed a dig at the tactician during a Sky Sports interview last month. The striker had claimed he wasn't happy with his situation at the club, adding that the coach had chosen to play with another system.

According to Petit, that was an explosion. The Frenchman continued:

"That cool attitude he has just wasn't there. He was getting aggressive and was also looking for excuses from outside the club. What happened with Lukaku was like throwing oil on a fire, and all of a sudden it explodes."

The former Chelsea midfielder also compared the German's influence in his first few months at Stamford Bridge with his current situation, noting a world of difference between the two.

"The club are the current Champions League holders and they won that after Thomas Tuchel arrived. They have done very well in terms of results, fighting spirit and teamwork.

"Tuchel also used to do a very good job in terms of tactics as well, but for the last few weeks - and I don't know if it is because of the results, players not being available because of injuries and Covid or his relationships with some players - he looks very nervous.

"Tuchel doesn't appear to have the same confidence he once had at Chelsea," he added.

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What next for Thomas Tuchel and Chelsea?

It's been a few tough weeks for the German tactician

The Blues have a huge fixture coming up in the Premier League this weekend. They are scheduled to travel to the Etihad Stadium to face current table toppers Manchester City on Saturday.

They'll then lock horns with Brighton and Tottenham Hotspur in their next two games in the English top flight. It remains to be seen how many points they'll pick up from these encounters.