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Originally Posted by 230iZTR
There are other forums that are better for it, but I'm happy to see it in the off-topic section.
It was my understanding that Lampard didn't want Werner or Havertz because he thought they wouldn't adapt well to the Prem, and he had confidence in the academy graduates to produce for the senior team. He was overruled and then got fired because the $150m German pair weren't producing. To be fair to Frank, Tuchel hasn't gotten much out of them either, while Barkley, Loftus-Cheek, and Ampadu have looked good on loan elsewhere in the Prem.
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I'm still new around here but I wasn't aware there's another more appropriate place to discuss sports. After all, isn't this the "sports lounge"?
As for Lampard, that's the first time I've heard that angle of the story. I specifically remember following the discussions that were ongoing before Chelsea pulled the trigger on Werner. Timo said he decided to go to Chelsea because Lampard went after him aggressively and explained in detail how he would be used in his team, etc. As a result of Lampard's heavy recruiting and level of comfort/confidence in Lampard, he said he chose Chelsea. I can't say for sure about Kai Havertz however other than a bunch of people heavily praised him and stated he's a rising superstar.
As for Thomas Tuchel, I agree to disagree. I think Werner and Havertz have played much better and with much more confidence, even if they're not getting that finishing touch. Their hustle play is like night and day under the new coach I think. Even the TV commentators during the games have said as much. I remember seeing both of those players being somewhat timid and giving up on plays much too soon. They don't do that now under Tuchel. In fact, I see Werner especially putting in more effort to track down loose balls which he never did prior to that. Besides the two Germans, you have to admit he has gotten way more out of this squad than Lampard. I mean they're on a streak of 14 games now without a loss. They're finally beating quality teams that they once struggled against under Lampard. Tuchel also has a pedigree and did well at Paris SG and almost won the Champions League with them. I just think he's a better coach than Lampard. Academy players like Mason Mount are playing just as good or maybe even better now. There's just an overall level of energy and enthusiasm that was missing under Lampard.
BTW, I think the reason Lampard got fired is they were losing a ton of games, including games they should have won. The team played with no energy or confidence. I don't think he played them in the appropriate shape either. Notice how Tuchel is starting players that didn't get any play time under Lampard, especially the defenders like Rudiger, Marcos Alonso, and even Christensen. They were getting zero play time before and now since they're playing a lot of minutes, their defense has suddenly become their strength. They're not giving up goals to anyone.