Tuchel on Mount, Gilmour’s future, Kante’s best position and whether Chelsea will make signings

Thomas Tuchel spoke about a number of issues at a news conference on Thursday. Here’s some of what the new Chelsea boss had to say.

On why he took the job

“Why not? It was the opportunity at one of the biggest clubs in the world in the most competitive league in the world. It was the moment that felt that we should not miss the chance to be part of the Chelsea family and to compete for titles with the best managers and the the best teams. So it was an easy choice.”

On whether Chelsea’s reputation for sacking managers worries him

“Yes and no. I am absolutely grateful that I can work on this level. If you sign in for Chelsea, you sign in for the hunger of titles and for being absolutely competitive in every competition you play. I am totally aware of that. It does not scare me. I have the biggest ambition. I am very excited about the mixture of the team and the structure of the club. The first days were amazing and I am absolutely aware that at some point everybody expects results, but I am doing that of myself all the time.”

On a potential backlash from fans after Frank Lampard’s sacking

“A fans’ backlash? I don’t know. I hope not because that would be hard on the team and we need our support like any team. To have the fans so close and close behind the team, it makes the difference. I can absolutely assume it is a big disappointment for the fanbase to see that Frank was sacked.

“I have the biggest respect for Frank. I was a huge fan of Frank as a player. It was a pure joy to watch him play and see how he played and the personality. He was the one of the keys to demonstrate in 90 minutes what Chelsea was about – about intensity, about devotion, about a winning mentality, and so I have the biggest respect for him and his legacy. It just got bigger today when I received a personal message to wish me all the best and maybe meet in the future when this is possible. In the last 72 hours the club made it clear to me that it was not my fault that I cannot change the situation for him. The decision was made and I was handed the opportunity.”

On whether signings are likely

“It is hard to judge for me right now because we have had one game and two training sessions. I am very happy with what I see so far – in both training and the game – with both the performance and the attitude and the talent and potential.

“The squad is not too big. N’Golo Kante came back today so we have 22 players plus the goalkeepers. Regarding our programme, with three competitions that is not too much. The guys deserve to be trusted and I want to trust everybody. If a possibility comes along that we all agree on making us stronger right away we will not hesitate I am sure, but it is not like we have the absolute need to do something.”

On N’Golo Kante

“I think he is the strongest on the double six, in the centre, in the heart of the game. It give him a little bit more freedom than when he plays as a single six with what he can do. But for me he is a double six because we can use his energy and use his range and volume in his game and his ability to recuperate and recover balls everywhere on the pitch.

“He is a guy who is a big, big helper for everybody with big potential and a mentality of a water carrier but at the same time a world-class player who played a crucial role. That is why it is super important to have him.

“The double six gives him a bit more freedom than the single six which demands a bit more discipline and maybe cuts his wings a little bit, but we could also play there.”

On what would constitute success

“The club makes this clear at Chelsea: it is about results. As managers we always try to bring in performance and to develop players to improve players, to increase their value. But in the end I am very realistic. I am in a club whose DNA is to win and to go for trophies. I am here to challenge for every trophy we play here. Realistically, this year it is the Champions League and the FA Cup. To speak now about the Premier League title, there are too many teams in between us; this is not realistic and we will just lose the focus.

“Our job is also about relations, Relations in the club and relations in the team and to push everybody to the limit. Success is also to make the stadium happy. People should be excited to come to Stamford Bride. People should be excited to watch our team and excited to feel that the team plays with a special kind of energy and atmosphere. These are also the soft points of success, but in the end at Chelsea you play for trophies and titles.”

On the changes against Wolves

“That was a totally unfair line-up because I had no reason for any of the players who did not start. I had no reason why they did not start because everybody deserved to. We started from zero and we the one training session before, which was excellent.

“I made the choices for a little bit more experience because I thought if a club like Chelsea changes the coach in the middle of the season I did not know how it would affect the young players. I opted for more experience and to put the weight and responsibility on the more experienced players.

“It is not a trust issue. If you know my reputation in my last clubs I will push every youngster to be ready. I have absolutely zero doubts that we have 20 or 21 players who are ready to play for Chelsea in the Premier League and win games for us. No one should read too much into this.”

On Mason Mount and Billy Gilmour

“With Mason I wanted to take the weight of his shoulder. They are absolutely sure they can handle the weight and I have no trust issues but wanted to give the responsibility in this special moment to a bit more experience players. There is nothing to worry about.

“I like what I see from Mason so far, from his personality which is amazing. He is such a nice guy, such a competitive guy with such a lot of talent. And most important, in every game I watch so far he leaves his heart on the pitch. He cares for Chelsea 100%. He gives 100% every time he plays and this is the best basis for a big development. I am very, very happy to have him around and I will not stop pushing him and I will not stop guiding him and stop trusting him.

“For Billy, I have a good impression. He is a strategic guy, with a very high level of game understanding. He is very good in the first contact, very clever in positioning. We will see if he has the physical level, at the highest level, if he can compete in the centre of the field in the most physical league in the world. We will see that.

“But he is super quick, super fast with his feet, super fast in decision making and very good in positioning, so for me 21-22 players available playing in three competitions and there is no need to get rid of players.”

On Pep Guardiola

“I spoke with Pep a lot since he worked here. I have followed the Premier League very closely from Germany and France because it is the benchmarks of leagues. I love it because it brings out the best in coaches and players. For me personally this is something to step up – to compete against the best coaches in the world brings out the best in me.”

On taking over midway through this season

“It is a big, big challenge because we miss the supporters and energy but it is not only the supporters. It’s crucial to create a special atmosphere and bond on a daily basis at the Cobham training ground and dressing room but due to the Covid situation we have a social-distancing rule so we are using three changing rooms. We cannot be everybody together at the same time. We cannot do the biggest celebrations in training.

“All these little details can make a difference to create a certain bond and glue between the players and to create an atmosphere that step intro a dressing you can really feel it – that they are joking with each other and arguing with each other and that does not exist. The biggest impact is the empty stadiums and it affects everybody also on a personal level – some players are more worried about parents and grandparents. This is a huge, huge, huge thing to deal with. It is a huge challenge for sure.”