MAINZ MAN TUCHEL CAN SWAT BEES

THOMAS TUCHEL believes his experience of being the

Bundesliga underdog at Mainz will help him handle Brentford’s assault tonight.

Tuchel (above) takes his Chelsea side to the Brentford Community Stadium to face a Bees team on a high after just one defeat in their first seven games back in the top flight. Thomas Frank’s men have beaten the likes of Arsenal, Wolves and West Ham and give Liverpool a huge fright.

But Tuchel had five years at Mainz, battling against Bundesliga giants such as Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen.

It was where he made his reputation as a coach before moving to Dortmund. In his five seasons in charge Mainz managed a remarkable fifth place one year and never finished lower than 13th.

The Chelsea manager said: “I coached an underdog team long enough in Germany to know how capable you can be as a group in closing the gap in modern football. It is possible.

“Now we are on the other side. Brentford will be ready to over perform. This is what they do in every game.

“The spectators, the coaches are ready to over-perform and the players. The good thing is we know. We know this will happen and we cannot be surprised tonight.

“Yes we are favourites. But then does it become easier? No it does not. It becomes even harder.

“We have to invest even more, because it has such a high value to get a good result against us. This will be tough.

“If we are aware mentally, then we have a good chance to win, because we have a certain quality.

“But we have to match the enthusiasm, confidence and motivation they bring for 90-plus minutes. They will not give us anything.

“I have known the Brentford project and the club for many years. Thomas Frank is a big part of it.

“To not make it in the play-offs and then do it again, it is a long and a tough way. That resilience is what they show right now.”