Youth is the backbone of any club says Tuchel

Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel has great admiration for the young players to make a successful career for themselves at a top team and says the passion for the club itself is vital to making it at Chelsea.

Tuchel says that the youth form the backbone of any football club.

Since selecting experience over youth in is head game as Chelsea head coach, Thomas Tuchel has picked up where Frank Lampard has left off when it comes to putting his faith in Chelsea's homegrown young players and providing them with an opportunity to excel. 

This was very much evident again in the Blues last match, where six academy graduates from Cobham featured in the FA Cup fifth round victory over Barnsley, a fact which was underlined when three of those graduates Tammy Abraham, Billy Gilmour and Reece James combined with each other for Abrahams decisive goal in the game. 

In Tuchel's own opinion, the players who are coming through Cobham are the lifeblood of the club and something which he has always tried to encourage wherever he has worked, this is due to his admiration for those who show the challenge to break into the first team at such a young age at a big club like Chelsea. 

Callum Hudson-Odoi takes instructions in a match from Thomas Tuchel 

At my previous clubs it was always like this, my door is always open in my office for the academy coaches and officials,' he stated. 'I enjoy watching the in-house games and training over on the other pitches at the academy, although this is not always possibly unfortunately as we are in the bubble and are in different zones. 

It has always been my belief that the youth form the backbone of any football club and the more players you have arriving from the academy and into the first team is better for this club, this is because it is something which our fans love and also because they care about Chelsea, because they have lived and have been bought up in that spirit over many years.

'However, on the other hand it can often be the case that they choose a different path in getting into the first team. For instance making it at the likes of Chelsea, PSG and Dortmund there are often tough challenges which you face. Sometimes the path is not always straight, sometimes it can be bumpy, sometimes you need to go out on loan, but I admire their determination to make it here.'

'I feel that the guys here at Chelsea want to break into the first team and establish themselves as Chelsea players, and this is the kind of spirit I want to feel. Whenever we feel that spirit in combination with the talent, then we will push them.'

One of those young academy graduates Callum-Hudson Odoi in particular has certainly benefited from Tuchel's guidance, Hudson-Odoi has impressed in recent weeks whether he has been deployed as a winger or in his new role as a wing-back or even sometimes as a striker.

Even though Tuchel states that this type of versatility is an asset for this team, he says it is not something which he will force onto the players unless they suit a different position.

'If you have a specialist number six he will almost certainly play as a six. Therefore, there is no need to push the number six into roles such as a central defender or as a wing-back, but when you have a player like Callum and we are provided with the opportunity to be able to ask different questions to both the opponents and their defenders , why not use it? this provides us with a possibility to be flexible and to react as well as well as helping both the team structure and formation.'

However, Tuchel's focus is sorely not just on the homegrown players from the academy, those, as he continues to help the new players who have arrived at Chelsea this season and tries to integrate them both into the club and into English football.

It has proven to be a difficult process for Kai Havertz so far. The German international is currently missing as his first season with Chelsea has been interrupted by Covid-19 and and injuries which have hampered his progress, but the Chelsea head coach reassures supporters that Chelsea will see the best of Havertz at Stamford Bridge, even if he says that there is no timescale on how long it will take a player to adapt to his current surroundings.

'Yes it takes time there is no other answer to this, but something which we can rely on him for is his potential. This is very logical that this is something in him for him to be able to show out on the pitch. Every time a player changes clubs it can be different. Sometimes a player needs more time to adapt, sometimes it can often be quick. Sometimes it is between one game and another, and sometimes it can often be a process.'

'From our end all we can do is push him with what he needs, we are able to figure out what he requires right now. So far he has had a pretty good start for us, he has had some good matches and in my mind I see a guy who is completely clear, self-aware, humble and is incredibly talented. So I have no doubts that he will be able to show this, hopefully sooner rather than later.'

'It is rather unfortunate now that he has missed several training sessions, he has also missed important games for us. We hope that he will return back to us within the next few days because I am absolutely convinced that he will have a big impact on this club.'

For more articles on news relating to Chelsea Football Club please visit my twitter account 

Link - Follow Chelsea (@FollowChelsea4) / Twitter