Thomas Tuchel arrives at Chelsea with a reputation as an outstanding tactician if a rather abrasive personality.
The two principal jobs on his CV – at Borussia Dortmund and then Paris Saint-Germain – ended in acrimony because of his desire for complete control over all aspects of the operation, inevitably bringing him into conflict with those behind the scenes.
And yet with hindsight we see that Tuchel brought both of those clubs very close to the success they craved.
At Dortmund, Tuchel wasn’t able to repeat the Bundesliga titles of Jurgen Klopp or overthrow an all-conquering Bayern Munich, but he did deliver their last piece of silverware – the 2017 German Cup.
And at PSG, where domestic dominance is taken for granted, he guided them to within a heartbeat of the one trophy they truly crave, the Champions League, only to lose last season’s final to Bayern.
While perhaps hoping Chelsea and Bayern don’t cross paths anytime soon, Tuchel should be able to elevate his new team beyond their modest accomplishments in 18 months under Frank Lampard.