NO TIME FOR LOO-SERS

Tuchel on Rangnick: He was a huge influence on me. He is very tactical and introduced zonal marking to German football. He proved that defenders don’t have to follow opponents into the TOILET

THOMAS TUCHEL has claimed tactical guru Ralf Rangnick has shown “it’s not necessary to follow people to the toilet in football games”.

And the Chelsea head coach insisted his German mentor is a leader who could now get Manchester United back in the chase for the title. Tuchel’s success in winning the Champions

League title after taking over in January encouraged United to appoint the Godfather of the Gegenpress in mid-season.

But the Stamford Bridge boss, 48, insisted Rangnick, 63, is the coach who sets the trends.

Tuchel (right) started his coaching career with the youth team at VFB Stuttgart under Rangnick (left) in 2000 after a knee injury forced him to retire aged just 24.

“He helped me a lot because he was my coach,” he said. “And then he was one of the main figures to convince me to try coaching. So he was a huge influence on all of us then because he showed us that it’s not necessary to follow people to the toilet in football games.

“There was the belief in those days that the defenders follow their strikers wherever they go.

“Very early he was a leader in bringing zonal marking and pressing and the line of a back four into German football and still being aggressive. He was one of the pioneers to introduce a 4-4-2 and high pressing.

“Tactically for sure he is an elite manager with Pep Guardiola and

Jurgen Klopp and Antonio Conte.” Tuchel inherited a Chelsea side from club legend Frank Lampard in ninth place last season and finished fourth.

Rangnick replaces Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at United following Saturday’s embarrassing 4-1 thrashing away to Watford (below).

United are down in eighth place despite bringing in Cristiano

Ronaldo, Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho in the summer. They visit Chelsea tomorrow, and asked if he had expected the Reds to challenge for the title this season, Tuchel (above, with Rangnick in their Bundesliga days) said: “Yeah, I was and maybe I still am.

“It is a very experienced and individually top-level group of players.

“Part of the performance from us is to not let them perform because if they do, you can quickly see in every game the full potential and the talent of these players, which is at the highest level.”

Rangnick agreed to join Milan last year before the Italian team performed a U-turn and spoke to Chelsea in January before Tuchel’s appointment. But he has never had a top European job.

“He focused on giving himself a certain amount of freedom to be in charge with Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig,” Tuchel said. “He found a managing role far more than just the coach. Maybe this was the key stopping him from stepping into every offer that he got for sure.”

So another German with a big personality and sense of humour will be running a top English football club in their own style.

Klopp famously called his style of football “heavy metal” while Tuchel revealed he preferred Abba.

“I told you I listened to Abba because I was in love with the singer,” the Chelsea boss laughed. “The blonde one.”

Ralf was one of the main figures to convince me to try coaching