WITH the expectations placed on Chelsea’s managers notoriously high, Thomas Tuchel begins his first full season knowing he will need to demonstrate quickly that his side have the credentials needed to reclaim the Premier League crown that was last theirs four years ago.

It’s all gone well so far. A Champions League trophy followed by the Super Cup earlier this week, and not forgetting a place in the FA Cup final in May, the German manager’s achievements in his short time suggest that this is a good fit for him and Chelsea. 

But we’ve been here before with the west London millionaires. What has eluded them over recent years has been that sustained success, and as we know, managers who fall short don’t survive long at Stamford Bridge.

Tuchel came to England with a reputation as a perfectionist — obsessive about details and with a broad understanding of the game. The 47-year-old inherited a talented, expensively assembled squad that was underperforming under former manager Frank Lampard. He impressively galvanised the players after tales of dressing room unrest which were followed by the inevitable decline in results that saw Chelsea slip down the table.

Lampard was dismissed in January after an 18-month spell, with Chelsea languishing in ninth in the Premier League, five points outside the all-important Champions League spots.

Tuchel reversed their fortunes, recovering Chelsea from their uneven start to finish fourth in the league.

After seven months in charge, the Chelsea manager starts the new season knowing that the club, most recently winners of the Premier League in 2017 under Antonio Conte, cannot go another season without league success.

The former Paris Saint-Germain boss became owner Roman Abramovich’s 11th full-time manager since he bought the club in 2003.

Heading into tomorrow’s season opener against Patrick Vieira’s Crystal Palace, the German benefits from Chelsea’s lavish spending last summer, with £200 million spent on players.

They did struggle with goals, however, and of the clubs that finished in the top nine positions, it was only London rivals Arsenal who scored fewer.

Chelsea have moved to boost their front line; the club’s £97.5m acquisition of Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan will surely give Chelsea the firepower they need. 

The squad is brimming with talent. Much is expected from Mason Mount, Chelsea’s player of the season, with the midfielder standing out for his maturity, workrate and energy. 

Intelligent performances from N’Golo Kante were integral in Chelsea reaching two finals last season and underlined how crucial he is in midfield.

Last summer’s signings Thiago Silva, Ben Chilwell and goalkeeper Edouard Mendy all impressed too. Elsewhere, players such as Antonio Rudiger looked reinvigorated under Tuchel.

Meanwhile, young defender Trevor Chalobah, who was impressive in the win over Villareal in the Super Cup, could also feature in Tuchel’s plans.

His squad possesses all-round strength, rivalling that of defending champions Manchester City, and a title challenge seems highly likely.

However, that memorable night in Porto, when Tuchel guided his Chelsea side beyond Manchester City in the Champions League final, will only gain the German manager so much goodwill. He needs to bring back the league title. 

By the end of August, Chelsea will have travelled to both Arsenal and Liverpool, and we will have an early indication of how strong their title claims are.