Thomas Tuchel gives bullish assessment of what Chelsea need to overhaul Man City and Liverpool

Thomas Tuchel has proved himself a master of the pre-match press conference during his time at Chelsea. No subject is off-limits to the German and stock answers are rarely – if ever – given.

It's partly why Tuchel has won so hearts and minds at Stamford Bridge. He is engaging, thought-provoking, analytical, and often entertaining in a way few Premier League head coaches are.

And every now and then, the Chelsea head coach will go to another level in terms of detail. He did it when discussing Jorginho's role earlier this season and repeated the trick last month when reflecting upon the importance of N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic.

These responses tend to span several minutes yet never feel like an unconstructed stream of consciousness. They are, in truth, Tuchel at his most captivating, a true window into the mind of an elite coach.

So let us set the scene. It was ahead of Chelsea's Premier League trip to Crystal Palace that Tuchel was asked about whether the Blues' Club World Cup win could revitalise his squad after a difficult winter period in which they have fallen 16 points Manchester City in the Premier League.

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Tuchel delivered his response to that question but then went on to explain what needs to change