JUST SEVEN WEEKS since moving to England and Thomas Tuchel will soon be walking up Wembley Way.
Following a Sunday afternoon stroll against an abject Sheffield United, Chelsea booked their expected place in next month’s FA Cup semi finals.
And the new German manager, who only rocked up at the end of January to replace sacked Frank Lampard, has got himself a day out at football’s ultimate cathedral.
Something to look forward to for a man who has seen nothing but hotel and dressing rooms since his arrival.
With a rejigged team, key players rested and others brought back in after serving suspensions in midweek, Chelsea were in control from first minute to last.
Even though it required a 24th minute own goal from Ollie Norwood to settle the result and a frustration wait until two minutes into second half injury time for Hakim Ziyech to settle it, normally animated Tuchel was barely out of his comfy seat in the dugout a handful of times throughout.
It is unlikely to be such an easy ride when the Cup moves to Wembley for the weekend in mid-April. The teams left in will see to that.
Sheffield United knew the game was up before a ball was kicked. Consequently, this could be described as one game that was good to miss for the fans still locked out of the stadium.
A routine win will please Tuchel given his inclusion of fringe players and the mix ‘n’ match nature of the starting XI.
Keeper Kepa was back in from the cold with a point to prove after being dropped from next week’s Spain internationals.
Third choice left back Emerson Palmieri also got a run out.
Little Billy Gilmour, the Scottish wonderkid everybody wants to see do so well here, was handed his first match in five weeks; since the last round of the Cup in fact at Barnsley on February 11.
The exclusion of certain individuals would have had an added effect too, with leading goalscorer Tammy Abraham suffering another setback with an ankle injury that has required him to be sent for a scan.
Stars such as Timo Werner, Kai Havertz and Ziyech were restricted to stretching and jogging on the touchline until 20 minutes from time, yet it’s still a toss whether warm up duty was harder than actually being on the pitch.
Tuchel has now won both the FA Cup ties put in front of him but is yet to experience any of the so-called magic of the world’s dearest old tournament – that will have to wait until Wembley.
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Sheffield United are managerless, rudderless and now officially potless. The one trophy which could have technically brought them a trophy this year is now gone – just like boss Chris Wilder along with any spirit of survival in the Premier League.
It took until the 69th minute for the team being managed temporarily by Paul Heckingbottom to mount a serious threat on the Chelsea goal.
It is often said that a team failing in the league can be boosted by a cup run. Not with this lot.
Ollie McBurnie’s shot on the turn was a decent effort from the edge of the box but Chelsea’s £71.6 million reserve keeper was able to divert it to safety with arms stretched to his right.
Moments earlier David McGoldrick headed wide from six yards but was offside anyway.
Chelsea were only a little better. But there is a fundamental difference in the mentalities of these two clubs at present.
Under Tuchel, Chelsea are unbeatable. Sheffield United are beaten before kick off. That can be the key difference in a cup tie when league form is supposed to go out of the window.
The scrappy goal which gave Chelsea a win they deserved without breaking sweat, came at the ragged end of a set-piece which just about sums up a grind of a game.
United failed to clear a Chelsea corner effectively and the ball fell to left back Ben Chilwell on the corner of the 18 yard box.
His shot at goal was low and was not going in until Norwood diverted it past his own keeper with an outstretched foot.
The frustration for Tuchel must be the problems with his forwards who are not scoring enough.
The absence of Abraham played a part in the inclusion of veteran Olivier Giroud, who was taken off after 64 fruitless minutes in search of a goal.
Tuchel ended the game with Havertz in the centre forward role but still scratching his head over how to find a man who can lead the line with youthful energy week in and week out when the going gets tougher than this.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
