Thomas Tuchel had an almost fully fit squad today, so his switch to a 433 can only be considered a tactical one.
Presumably once he realised that Reece James wasn’t going to be fit he thought it would be safer to use a 433, bringing Mason Mount deeper and introducing Ruben Loftus-Cheek to midfield to add some height to a team that focuses on set pieces.
Whatever his logic, it just didn’t work out. Mount was poor, Hakim Ziyech was poor up top, Timo Werner was awful, and Loftus-Cheek looked like he wasn’t being used in his best position at all.
Ultimately, it limited the chances they created and also ended up being vulnerable at the back, especially as they looked to push forwards. We back them to be stronger in midweek, but it’s a disastrous setup for a crucial Champions League game. James will be back, but it will take more than that to make the difference.
