While Chelsea is in turmoil off the field, they are a calm winning machine on it. We all need a leader like Thomas Tuchel...
'Tuchel for Prime Minister' The 677 Chelsea fans who were quick enough to get a ticket for their FA Cup match against Middlesbrough before Roman Abramovich's punishments were imposed last week read a banner on display. The country's current leader could probably learn a thing or two about crisis management from the Blues boss.
Chelsea has been playing under a special license provided by Boris Johnson's government for nine days, during which time they have won four games, advanced to the Champions League quarter-finals, and are currently in the FA Cup semi-finals for the fourth time in five years.
The victory over Boro is undoubtedly the most spectacular of those wins. On paper, pulling off a cup upset against lower-league opposition and cruising into the European quarterfinals may not seem as impressive as defeating the French champions and cruising into the last eight, but Tuchel should derive the same satisfaction from their Teesside road trip as he did from their trip across the channel to Lille.
At The Riverside, everyone wanted the Blues to be dumped on their backsides. Perhaps nothing new there, but Chelsea's blatant and subsequently revoked offer to play the game behind closed doors made everyone root even harder for Boro. It would have been a shame for the Tees to deny the home fans a rare sell-out and the finest atmosphere in years.
The roar was all the more amazing since Chelsea gave Boro little to sing about. Despite the commotion around them, Tuchel and his team showed amazing focus to dominate and out-play a home side whose passion could not cross the talent gap, as they had done in the previous rounds against Manchester United and Tottenham.
Tuchel achieved the right balance between sustaining momentum and refreshing his XI after a 268-mile bus ride. Romelu Lukaku made his first start since his seven-touch nightmare at Crystal Palace a month ago, with Mateo Kovacic and N'Golo Kante splitting the shift.
Lukaku scored an early goal, a 15th-minute tap-in that owed more to Mason Mount's quality and Chelsea's ability to get through Boro's press. Boro went behind after exposing themselves three on three in the first half, which led to Mount's brilliant ball into Lukaku's path.
The hosts' desire to harry was admirable, but Chelsea anticipated their arrival every time. The second goal, which ended the tie but not the atmosphere at The Riverside, came after another sweeping move through the thirds, with Boro always a step too short and a yard too sluggish whenever a ball was to be won. Even though Hakim Ziyech was invited inside from the right wing on to his right foot, the final touch was not as straightforward as the first. Joe Lumley was caught off guard by the winger's shot, though it's unlikely the Boro goalkeeper would have been able to get close enough to the ball even if he hadn't gone left as it swerved right.
Despite Boro's best efforts, Chelsea saw out the final hour with great control, resulting in some hopeful moments but few genuine opportunities. Tuchel's back four was impregnable throughout the evening, while Jorginho's stand-in Ruben Loftus-Cheek provided some welcome dynamism.
Chelsea won for the 12th time in 13 games in less than two months, so it's a stretch to claim that adversity off the field has motivated them on it. However, preserving that streak in the face of so much uncertainty is an accomplishment to be proud of. Tuchel's calm demeanor is proving to be ideal for Chelsea at this crucial time. And, in the improbable event that his exit from Stamford Bridge is delayed by ownership issues, the country could do a lot worse than relocating him to Downing Street.
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