Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi has revealed the impact Thomas Tuchel has had on his personal development and what was missing for him under Frank Lampard.
Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi reckons that he’s now playing with more freedom under Thomas Tuchel amid indifferent form under Frank Lampard and Maurizio Sarri.
Hudson-Odoi, 21, made his return to the Blues line up for the contest in the West Midlands after being side-lined with Covid-19 in the build-up to Christmas.
And he showed just why Thomas Tuchel had to include him in this game from the start, proving pivotal in the first two Chelsea goals. He managed to win the penalty that led to Jorginho’s equaliser in the first half, then delivered a peach of a cross for substitute and eventual man of the match winner Romelu Lukaku to flick home from close range.
Pivotal contributions that we have become accustomed to under the German’s reign, but this hasn’t always been the case in his the 21-year-old’s Blues career.
After an explosive 2017/18 campaign under now Lazio manager Sarri, a long-term injury halted what was an exciting prospect at the time. The knock on effect that injury had in a psychological sense has been looming over the player in question for a while now, especially under Lampard’s tenure. But he now seems fully in his stride once again after a stunted but enthralling start to his career in west London.
There were suggestions of a potential loan out in the recent summer transfer window to Borussia Dortmund for Chelsea’s No.20, but Tuchel’s faith in him has now paid dividends as shown with his contributions in the Aston Villa win.
“We have spoken. It was a very easy decision for me to make on the last day of the transfer period.,” Tuchel said back in September.
“We cannot to let a player who is in the 18/19 man squad. He is able to play as a right wing-back, a left wing-back in the two ten positions. He knows the group, we know him very well. There was no chance to say yes on the last day.
“For him personally it may have been a good opportunity but for us and our targets that we want to achieve, it was simply impossible. It was an easy one for me actually.
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