"No one is safe and it can happen overnight" - Florent Malouda insists Tuchel can never be in "comfort zone" when it comes to Chelsea future

Malouda advises Thomas Tuchel to pull up his socks
Malouda advises Thomas Tuchel to pull up his socks

Former Chelsea star Florent Malouda has urged Thomas Tuchel to turn the Blues’ fortunes around, claiming even the Champions League-winning coach isn’t above getting the sack.

The 2020-21 Champions League winners have had a tough time living up to their billing this season. Tuchel’s men have won only one of their last seven Premier League games and are all but out of the title race.

They currently trail runaway leaders Manchester City by 12 points, despite playing a game more than the reigning champions. Liverpool, too, are a point ahead of the Blues, even though Jurgen Klopp’s men have played two games fewer than Tuchel’s side.

Thankfully, Chelsea are alive in the Champions League and FA Cup and recently brushed aside Tottenham Hotspur to head into the EFL Cup final. Winning the domestic cup final against Liverpool in February could give Tuchel some breathing space, but Malouda doesn’t think there’s any room for complacency.

Speaking to Standard Sport, Malouda outlined the struggles of a Chelsea manager, stating the club’s owner Roman Abramovich has an insatiable hunger for success. He said:

“When you are Chelsea manager, you are never in a comfort zone. Everybody expects a lot — the owner and the board as well. There is a standard and you accept it. When you take the job, you accept it.”

He claimed that just because the German mastermind, whose current Chelsea deal runs until 2024, won the Champions League last season, he won’t get away with a sub-par season. Malouda added:

“That is never the case. When you win the Champions League, of course you have a status, but you cannot go below that. People think that’s what you are going to deliver every season. No one is safe and it can happen overnight.”

Third-placed Chelsea return to Premier League action with a crucial clash against fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. It is a must-win fixture for the Blues as the outcome could have a massive impact on the hotly-contested Premier League top-four race.


Harry Kane-Romelu Lukaku battle could settle Chelsea-Tottenham clash

Chelsea’s upcoming Premier League clash against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday is poised to go right down to the wire.

Both teams are desperate for a top-four finish and Sunday’s result could tip the scales one way or the other.

The two sides are filled to the brim with world-class footballers, but it’s the strikers who could ultimately settle the game this weekend.

Both Harry Kane and Romelu Lukaku have been in poor form this season and are desperate to put in a match-winning shift in the London derby. The duo will be heavily marked by opposing defenders, meaning it could ultimately boil down to intelligent off-the-ball play and instinctive finishing.

Will the two deliver or will the fans be in for another disappointment? We cannot wait to find out the answer on Sunday.

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Edited by Samya Majumdar