"A breath of fresh air" - Joe Cole lauds 'smart man' Thomas Tuchel's impact at Chelsea

Former Chelsea star Joe Cole has heaped praise on Thomas Tuchel's influence in his first year at the club. The German took over from Frank Lampard as the Blues manager in early 2021 and has seen a meteoric rise in form. In his first few months in charge, Tuchel led Chelsea to an FA Cup final against Leicester City which unfortunately ended in defeat.

However, the 48-year-old coach would lead his side to the Champions League title, defeating Manchester City in the final 1-0. A few months later, he guided them to a UEFA Super Cup win over Villarreal.

Joe Cole has hailed the impact Tuchel has had at Stamford Bridge and has compared him to the time Jose Mourinho first took charge back in 2004.

Speaking to The Sun, Cole said the following in regards to the current manager:

"Barring Mourinho's first spell, he has had the biggest impact of anyone managing Chelsea. He is universally loved and respected by everyone at the training ground. He is a breath of fresh air. Winning the Champions League is an incredible achievement but it is also about the way he has come in."

He added:

"Chelsea is a very successful club but it can be turbulent. A lot of managers can buckle under that pressure — even experienced ones. But the way the players have responded to him has been great. You couldn't have envisaged a better first year in charge. Thomas is a very smart man who recognised the quality players straight away. But he also recognised the soul and style of the club; he understands the history of the club. He gets it."

Thomas Tuchel's achievements have not gone unnoticed. The former PSG manager was awarded The Best FIFA Men's Coach Award for 2021 for his exploits last season.

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Thomas Tuchel could guide Chelsea to more trophies in 2022

Despite falling behind in the race for the Premier League title, Thomas Tuchel still has opportunities to lift silverware this season. By virtue of being the European champions, Chelsea will travel to the UAE to compete in the FIFA Club World Cup next month.

It is worth noting that the Blues have not won this tournament in their entire history. However, they did finish runners-up to Brazilian side Corinthians back in 2012.

Chelsea have also reached the final of the Carabao Cup. The Blues secured a 3-0 aggregate win over Tottenham Hotspur in the semi-final of the competition. They will now face Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool side in the final at Wembley Stadium on the 27th of February 2022.

The Reds defeated Arsenal in the semi-final after they secured a 2-0 win in the second-leg of their semi-final.