TUCHEL THRIVING ON CHAOS
Despite Government sanctions and an uncertain future, Blues ease into semi-finals
THOSE associated with Chelsea have long since known that their club exists on the footballing equivalent of a fault line. There has been nothing as seismic as events of recent weeks, of course, but amid the aftershocks of change silverware has invariably fallen into their cabinet.
Chaos off the field usually precipitates consistency on it and this was a fourth straight win since Government sanctions were imposed on their owner Roman Abramovich just 10 days ago.
Much like their Champions League victory in Lille on Wednesday, it moves Thomas Tuchel’s side one round closer to a trophy that is beginning to feel like something of an inevitability if history is to be repeated.
It was only last season that the sacking of club legend Frank Lampard and Tuchel’s subsequent arrival brought about an improvement culminating in a second European crown of the Abramovich era. The first was achieved in 2012 under Roberto Di Matteo, a caretaker in the job for less than three months. When Chelsea throw their cards in the air, they tend to come back down as ticker tape.
And here we are again, to the backdrop of turbulence, a team who look the picture of calm. An FA Cup semi-final at Wembley is the reward for this win, secured thanks to goals from Romelu Lukaku and Hakim Ziyech.
‘I am super happy,’ said Tuchel. ‘We were very focused. We defended as a team and attacked as a team. On the ball, we were calm and controlled the match.’
Second-tier Middlesbrough failed to match the effort of previous rounds against Manchester United and Tottenham. There is no real shame in that considering Chelsea are the world and European champions, but boss Chris Wilder has standards that demand better than what his players showed in allowing the visitors to cruise into a two-goal lead inside the opening 31 minutes
‘I’m still disappointed,’ said Wilder. ‘The goals were difficult for us to take and were preventable. But their counter-attacks were excellent and they just showed their quality in key moments.’
It might have been different had the Blues been forced to journey by bus to Teesside. A late reprieve under the terms of the Government license allowing them to operate meant they instead took a flight to the North-East. Boro, by contrast, never got off the ground.
Tuchel had even picked what he must have considered a weakened team, given that Lukaku started. The last time the £97.5million striker was in from the off was the previous round at Luton, in which he scored the winning goal. His only other domestic effort of this calendar year came in the third round against Chesterfield, form figures to support the notion he acts best on the flattest of tracks. Here was another.
Chelsea’s opening goal, in the 15th minute, was a little too easy. It felt like one of those training-ground exercises often decried by players as pointless. You know the ones, the shadow drills against no opposition.
Ziyech rolled a pass down the right channel for Mason Mount to chase, unattended. He used that freedom to sweep a ball across goal and Lukaku, unmarked despite the nearby attendance of two red jerseys, turned in.
Their second was even easier. The attack began in Chelsea’s goalmouth and climaxed less than 15 seconds later in Boro’s goal. Blues keeper Benjamin Mendy played the ball to defender Malang Sarr. From there, a simple slide into midfield to Mateo Kovacic and, in turn, on to Mount. He found Ziyech on the right and the winger, celebrating his 29th birthday, slammed home.
From there on in it was all relatively straightforward and that is one word you would not use to describe the immediate future of Chelsea. The deadline to submit offers for the club passed on Friday night and a consortium led by American businessman Todd Boehly is seen as the leading candidate.
Tuchel said: ‘The offers are in and the board tries to find a decision with the Government as soon as possible.
But I am absolutely OK. I feel a responsibility as there are people at the club who are worried who are not in the spotlight or as privileged as me. For them, it’s also my responsibility and everyone’s responsibility to show the right spirit, positivity and not go into self-pity and worry about a situation we didn’t cause and can’t change.’
Tuchel insists his own future remains at Stamford Bridge. He is working on the assumption that any owners prepared to pay the money to take on Chelsea must be motivated by winning trophies as opposed to financial gains.
Maybe he has never heard of the Glazers. Ironically, it is their club, Manchester United, who are being urged to poach Tuchel.
And why would he abandon a club where turmoil has long been a key ingredient for success?
It might not be popular in the wider context of current world matters, but Chelsea appear well set for an assault on two cup fronts. Taking care of business off the pitch might not be so easy, but those on it are at least doing their bit to make their club a very attractive proposition.