Chelsea’s recent upsurge in performances under new coach Thomas Tuchel suggests that the west Londoners could be in the reckoning to secure silverware this season, according to Reece James.
The full-back, in a recent interview to the club’s official website, has detailed the experience of playing under Tuchel, with the former Paris Saint-Germain boss overseeing a brilliant turnaround at Stamford Bridge since he took over from Frank Lampard earlier this year.
With the Blues gaining a major foothold in ensuring a top-four finish in the ongoing Premier League campaign after the recent triumph at Anfield and securing a vital first-leg win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, James says that the Chelsea first-teamers have adapted well to the new style of play witnessed under Tuchel.
‘The style of play that he’s brought in was evident and clear for us to understand,’ explained James of the new coach’s methods.
‘The more we play together, the stronger we will be. Game by game, we will get better and build together.’
Speaking on the recent squad rotation at Chelsea in wake of Tuchel’s hiring, James, who himself has found himself warming the bench of late, admitted that playing for a team of the Blues’ status did mean that a spot in the eleven was never guaranteed for any player and that the decisions made by the manager were fully respected.
‘When you play for a top team, you cannot always play and you know you might find yourself in a period where you don’t play as much,’ he added.
‘You have to just keep working hard and you never know when your chance will come. I have to keep working and be ready. The manager always has his reasons on why he thinks that person should play. He is the manager and he makes the decisions so I have to respect them.’
