Tuchel faces uphill battle getting Chelsea players ready for FA Cup

Thomas Tuchel has proven over the last week that he’s not just another master tactician hiding behind a puffy coat and a ball-cap. The German has revealed his knack for motivating his players, even in the most daunting circumstances. Chelsea looked disoriented in its two games immediately following the international break, losing 4-1 and 3-1 to Brentford and Real Madrid respectively. However, Tuchel issued a challenge to his men and they responded emphatically. The Blues went on the road for consecutive matches, coming away with a 6-0 victory at St. Mary’s Stadium last weekend and a 3-2 win at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday.

The performance in the latter was especially commendable considering it’s one of the all-time great shows put on in front of a crowd at the Spanish footballing cathedral. The Chelsea players left everything on the pitch as they bowed out of the Champions League in heroic fashion. It was 120 minutes of sheer grit from the reigning Champions of Europe, an all-around special display. For these reasons, Tuchel faces an uphill battle preparing for Sunday’s FA Cup semifinal.

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel faces an uphill battle in FA Cup preparations

While that may sound absurd to say in any other instance, context justifies just how difficult it’ll be for the Chelsea boss to get his players up for the game. The Blues emptied the tank on Tuesday in the Spanish capital as Tuchel and his staff threw the kitchen sink at Real Madrid. They came away with the result on the day, but the scenes at full-time after being eliminated from the Champions League were ones of exhaustion and heartbreak.

The visitors genuinely gave it their all on the day, which can have a devastating after effect in this case. There’s no doubt that, while proud, the dressing room was anguished after coming up just short in the two-hour affair. These feelings of mental and physical fatigue could very well boil over to Sunday’s match against Crystal Palace, so Tuchel will need to find the right way to get his team ready for yet another monumental match.

It’s especially easy to lose focus if the Blues begin to overlook their opponents. The Eagles have put together a nice little run of form recently in all competitions. Following their last defeat to Chelsea on February 19, they went almost an entire month unbeaten, before finally falling to Leicester City on Sunday. Patrick Vieira has his side looking like one of the most improved teams in the English top flight this season. Crystal Palace has only gotten better as the season has progressed, as evidenced by its two matches against the Blues. The Eagles will be without Chelsea loanee Conor Gallagher, but they have plenty of cover for him in the middle of the park.

Crystal Palace is 14 points out of contention for a European spot and 13 points above the relegation zone as things stand. Vieira and his men aren’t really going to contend for a European place, nor are they worried at all about the drop. Therefore, it’s safe to assume this is the equivalent of a cup final to them. This is the biggest game remaining on the Eagles’ fixture list.

All of these factors combine to whip up a perfect recipe for disaster for the Blues. Tuchel and his staff need to ensure they approach the preparations for this FA Cup semifinal in the right way if they want any chance at booking their place in a third consecutive FA Cup final. Chelsea may have not achieved everything it set out to this season, but it’s come incredibly close. The FA Cup remains the Blues’ only shot at a treble as the Premier League is now just a two-horse race. This fact alone should be enough to get the Chelsea players up out of bed and ready to put on another scintillating performance in front of a lively Wembley Stadium crowd on Sunday.

Do you think the Blues will win and advance to yet another FA Cup final? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on Twitter!