See more confidence in Saul with each game and he’s having more impact, admits Thomas Tuchel
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has praised midfielder Saul Niguez and the way that the Spaniard has adapted to the style of play and even pointed out that the midfielder has gained confidence. The 26-year-old signed for Chelsea on loan from Atletico Madrid but has struggled to showcase his ability.
With Saul Niguez arriving on loan, alongside a buy-option, many hoped that he would be the man to provide Chelsea with enough midfield depth. But a lack of game-time at Atletico Madrid combined with the physicality and pace of the English league saw Niguez struggle in the first few games he played. So much so that the Spaniard was brought off at half-time on two occasions, with even his bench roles coming towards the end of games.
However, the midfielder has slowly but steadily adapted to a new league and has been showcasing his talent over the last few games. It has even impressed Thomas Tuchel as the German revealed that he can see more confidence and the fact that Saul is having more of an impact on the team. Not only that, Tuchel believes that the Spaniard will be a key player for them especially with the Blues competing in four tournaments.
“I think he will be an important player for us and I hope so as well. The game against Tottenham was a huge step forward for Saul and he showed what he can do with his abilities. Against Chesterfield he was part of a strong squad. Okay, it was against a fifth division side so there was no need for us to be overran in midfield but he still did well with his performance,” Tuchel told Cheseafc.com.
“I see more confidence in him with each game, he is in good shape and his adaptation to the way we play has gone further from before. You can see this in his game now. He is more open, he understands the language better now and these are all important things to consider when talking about Saul and how much he has improved recently.
“He is having much more impact on games than he was doing at the beginning of the season and this is very important because I’m convinced we will need every player to compete in every competition from now until the end of the season, especially at the moment where we are playing every three days," he added.