Former Blues defender Jason Cundy says Thomas Tuchel\u2019s impressive start taking over as Chelsea manager proves it was the right call to sack Frank Lampard.<\/p>\n
After losing five of his final eight Premier League matches, Blues legend Frank Lampard was given the sack\u00a0and immediately replaced by the former Paris Saint-Germain German coach last month, who has since revitalised Chelsea\u00a0with an eight-match unbeaten run, besides giving more minutes to Callum Hudson-Odoi, Cesar Azpilicueta, Jorginho and Marcos Alonso \u2013 four players who struggled for first-team action under Lampard.<\/p>\n
Speaking after Chelsea\u2019s first leg 1-0 win over Atlet ico Madrid in the Champions League last-16 on Tuesday, Cundy told talkSPORT:<\/p>\n
\u201cTuchel has changed the shape of the team.<\/p>\n
\u201cDefensively, we\u2019re far more solid; we don\u2019t look like we\u2019re going to concede in every single attack.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has revolutionised Callum Hudson-Odoi at right wing-back; he\u2019s played in a role I\u2019ve never seen him play before and I\u2019m guessing he\u2019s never played it at youth team level.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has got Marcos Alonso back in from the cold; the last game he played was West Brom away in a 3-3 draw [last September].<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is difficult to argue that Frank should have kept his job after that.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe new manager\u2019s job is to come in and get results. Were Chelsea underperforming under Frank? Yes. Our performances were lousy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Aided by Olivier Giroud\u2019s 68th-minute goal, the Blues now have opportunity for the first time in seven years to qualify for the Champions League quarter-finals although the former Blues defender is realistic that the tie is far from over with Atletico boss Diego Simeone having gotten the better of the Blues, not to mention Liverpool and Arsenal, in the past.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m under no illusions that this is only half-time,\u201d added Sports Bar host Cundy.<\/p>\n
\u201cAny Chelsea fan that thinks this game is over is wildly wrong, because this is far from over. Atletico are more than capable.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou saw when they went 1-0 down, there was a period of about ten minutes in which they looked more dangerous than they had done in the whole game.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve got good players; [Joao] Felix, how he can play in that system and not get the best out of him. We know what he is like as a manager, Simeone. They\u2019ve got [Luis] Suarez up top\u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not taking this for granted one little bit. It\u2019s a brilliant night, a brilliant win, but this isn\u2019t over.\u201d<\/p>\n
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