• March 10, 2022
• Olaoluwa Nwobodo

Chelsea found themselves in an uncomfortable and unique goalkeeper situation. They have Spain’s Kepa Arrizabalaga who is the most expensive goalkeeper in the world. The problem is that Arrizabalaga is not Chelsea’s first-choice goalkeeper, weird as that may sound. Their first choice is Senegal’s Edouard Mendy who was bought two seasons after Arrizabalaga was acquired. Everyone understands why Mendy is the first choice goalkeeper, however that doesn’t make it any less awkward for Arrizabalaga who is younger than Mendy and is clearly the second choice keeper.

Under Frank Lampard, Arrizabalaga played a full season and was very poor almost all season. This, along with Lampard’s request pushed Chelsea to get Mendy. Mendy turned out to be very good, earning him the first place spot. There were rumors that the club did not like the way Lampard treated Arrizabalaga, though it was difficult to pinpoint exactly what these rumors were referring to.

Thomas Tuchel said upon his appointment that Chelsea had two very strong goalkeepers and that he trusted both goalkeepers. Everything Tuchel did since he arrived as the Chelsea was intentional and well planned out.

After the UEFA Super Cup final against Villarreal where Tuchel subbed off Mendy for Arrizabalaga just before the anticipated penalty shootout, Mendy and Arrizabalaga both confirmed when asked that the decision was made eight months prior by Tuchel and the goalkeeping coaches. 8 months ago was when Tuchel arrived as Chelsea manager, which showed Tuchel set out to handle to goalkeeper situation from the get-go. Mendy and Arrizabalaga both looked happy to participate in Chelsea’s win and it was astonishing seeing both keepers look happy. How did the German do it?

Trust. Tuchel built trust between himself and his goalkeepers without sacrificing the team’s interests. How? Making promises and keeping them. Tuchel never hesitated to say that Mendy was his first choice even while reiterating that he trusts Arrizabalaga. He must have made many promises to both goalkeepers, but he made sure he kept all those promises.

This would’ve built the trust between the manager and the goalkeepers. This trust helps to get the players on his side, as they know that Tuchel has the interests of the team in mind. The shootout situation was the second chance Tuchel got to keep an important promise, the first was the 2021 FA Cup final against Leicester City.

Before the semifinal of the FA Cup, Tuchel had been asked at a press conference who was going to start between the sticks. Tuchel had said Arrizabalaga would start as he was the cup keeper. Many did not like his response as Chelsea was facing Manchester City in that semifinal. The Spaniard was brilliant in that game and went on to keep a clean sheet seeing Chelsea to the final. Tuchel was then asked who was going to start the final of the FA Cup, and he again promised that he would start Arrizabalaga. He did, and Chelsea lost.

Ultimately, players still have a responsibility to put their best foot forward whether anyone thinks they’re deserving of a start or not. Arrizabalaga often did. Tuchel rewarded Arrizabalaga for superb performances at several points since his appointment as Chelsea head coach, and even giving him Premier League starts sometimes.

It would’ve been the easiest thing for Tuchel to just go with his preferred goalkeeper in the semifinal and final of the FA Cup, but that would’ve broken the trust between himself and Arrizabalaga. It is extremely difficult to convince a £72m goalkeeper to be a backup, but you can do anything as a manager if your players trust you. Building that trust can be done in many different ways but it’s the responsibility of the manager to find a way. Tuchel’s way was not just saying but proving that Arrizabalaga was an important member of the squad despite not being the first choice.

Managers are powerful members of football teams as their decisions can make or break teams and individuals. A large chunk of Chelsea fans tried to sneakily point fingers at Tuchel for the 2022 Carabao Cup final loss where Tuchel again subbed off Mendy for Arrizabalaga for the shootout, as planned. They insinuated that Tuchel should’ve left Mendy on for the shootout despite knowing that Arrizabalaga is better at saving penalties than Mendy. They unfairly made these claims because Chelsea lost (the benefit of hindsight). They don’t know that while trusting players doesn’t always yield the preferred result, you still have to trust them and keep promises made to them.

Many may not realize it, but managers have to be intentional in the decisions they make because their players are always watching…observing. If the players spot inconsistencies in things the manager says and does, the belief and trust they have in these managers begin to wane. A manager who isn’t trusted by his players has numbered days in his job. Tuchel has stated how happy he is to be Chelsea manager and he’s doing everything to make sure that he shows the fans, players, and board that he’s the right man for the job by carefully putting thought into every decision he makes and that’s brilliant!

How do you think Tuchel got Mendy and Arrizabalaga onside? Discuss with us in the comments and on Twitter