BRIDGE OF HI

Boos at the final whistle after Everton draw show the first cracks in Tuchel’s reign after 10 months of perfection

THOMAS TUCHEL walked on water for the first 10 months of his reign.

First he led the Chelsea side he inherited from Frank Lampard at the end of January to Champions League glory and a top-four finish in the Premier League.

Then his players started this season like a train, convincing many they would back up their success in Europe this time out by claiming the top-flight crown.

It was all going so well for the Blues from August to November, with the meanest defensive record in England providing the platform upon which a brilliant midfield and star-studded attack could build.

Injuries and illness have, however, caused problems for Tuchel, most notably to key midfielders N’golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic, and wing-back Ben Chilwell.

And since the start of December the hems of the water-walking German’s tracksuit bottoms have started to get a bit wet, with a defeat by West Ham, a scraped win against struggling Leeds and draw with Everton in the Premier League proof their levels had dropped.

The fact that Chelsea conceded three goals against the Hammers was so noticeable because they had only let in two on their travels all season prior to the visit to the London Stadium.

And because it was only the third time in 53 fixtures under Tuchel they had conceded more than one goal in a game.

Four days later, Russian side Zenit St Petersburg put three past them in the Champions League and after the battle against Leeds, the draw with Everton brought boos at the final whistle.

The Blues are comfortably third so this is not a full-blown crisis.

But Tuchel knows they cannot afford many more slip-ups this season if they are to keep pace with Manchester City and Liverpool at the top.

And while the games against Liverpool on January 2 and City on January 15 were always going to be important, they are certainly now must-not-lose if not quite must-win.

Key for Tuchel will be getting Kante and Kovacic fit and firing again in the engine room. And, of course, getting marquee signing Romelu Lukaku scoring. The £97million man has had bad luck with an ankle injury and most recently with Covid.

But the fact he has managed just three Premier League goals all season is a concern – and Tuchel admitted prior to the Everton game the Belgian ace he had been struggling with his adaptation back at Chelsea.

The Blues boss also spoke this month of a wobble of confidence that was affecting keeper Edouard Mendy, who had been superb since arriving from Rennes in the summer of 2020.

Senegal’s No.1 has proven himself to be one of the best goalkeepers in the world and Tuchel knows he will need to get him fully focused again and fast.

What is perhaps as pressing as any situation for Chelsea are the contract negotiations with four of their big-name defenders.

Thiago Silva, Cesar Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen are all free agents in the summer and will be free to negotiate with other clubs from next month.

Silva and club captain Azpilicueta are less concerning given the Brazilian has signed 12-month deals at the start of the last two seasons, and the Spaniard looks almost certain to extend.

But Rudiger (below) and Christensen have been digging in their heels for several months and are yet to agree to the terms Chelsea have offered them.

Tuchel knows it is not an ideal position to be in with those two, given how important they have been as two-thirds of his central three.

And while all of those situations will need Tuchel’s best man-management skills, he also knows none of them are insurmountable.

Given the standards that he has set for his players so far, few would bet against the Blues being right in the mix come May as long as their injuries and fitness problems can now stay out of the way.