A Manchester United manager brought them success this weekend but he was not at Wembley. Jose Mourinho's Tottenham have made Champions League qualification a near certainty for United but silverware is uncertain for the third season running.
United morphed into the Arsenal of the early Emirates era; prioritising a league position over a trophy, although the irony is Arsenal will be back at Wembley on August 1. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's management undermined the significance of a hollow FA Cup semi-final for a club who last went over three years without silverware in the late 80s. Hardly 'glory glory Man United'.
Solskjaer should be more vocal about the Premier League enforcing a Monday-Thursday-Sunday schedule that disadvantaged United. The added mitigation was Chelsea had the benefit of 48 hours' extra rest, United have been undeniably fatigued of late and West Ham visit Old Trafford on Wednesday in the penultimate league game. Rotation was inevitable though Solskjaer failed to sufficiently freshen up United on Thursday at Selhurst Park and they flew back to Manchester, rather than staying down in London.
He was adamant the approach at Wembley was purely down to conditioning yet it was not a coincidence he reverted to the same split-striker tactic that defeated Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the League Cup and Premier League; games staged in October and February. United have been prone to living in the past.
Brandon Williams, Fred, and Daniel James started in both of those triumphs and all were restored to the XI yet Sergio Romero - a starter in every FA Cup tie this term - was not among the recalls and Solskjaer must retrospectively regret that in light of another David de Gea howler.
Solskjaer has publicly defended the indefensible errors committed by a goalkeeper who has become too comfortable since the Real Madrid ship sailed. Solskjaer suggested the change in goalkeeping staff at the club in the summer has 'reignited a little bit of spark' in a goalkeeper who fizzled out over a year ago. Richard Hartis offered De Gea some tidbits in the second-half drinks interval when he might as well have kept his social distance.
De Gea's form since the restart has already been blemished by at least four mistakes and the egregiousness of some is making the goalkeeping decision easier with Dean Henderson's loan with Sheffield United over next week. Romero must feel confident of retaining his place for the Europa League knockouts in Cologne next month.
Frank Lampard, previously Solskjaer's patsy, has lifted the hex and is partly indebted to his counterpart after United attempted to beat Chelsea with their tried and tested tactic. The caveats were Williams - bruised against Southampton - was making his first start since March, Fred was more like Anderson at Wembley and Daniel James has struggled to perform all calendar year. Williams unwittingly assisted Mason Mount and Fred and James were hooked before the hour.
It was amateurish of Solskjaer to bank on a tactical approach that succeeded at Chelsea five months ago - when Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba were visiting the physio's room at Carrngton. Solskjaer's five-game faith in a first XI over the last month all but confirmed he is not confident in certain squad players and that was reinforced by the change in shape. The naive James had to be told when to press and where to move by his manager and two coaching staff members.
Leicester's surrender 13 miles away at Spurs - where the margin of victory means United have the same goal difference as their top four competitors - cannot soften the blow of a third FA Cup semi-final defeat in the last 17. Purely playing in the Champions League is not what a World Cup winner like Paul Pogba aspires to. Or settling for the Europa League vase.
Solskjaer's defensive trident experiment ended with a shuddering aerial collision between Harry Maguire and Eric Bailly; the latter requiring attentive medical treatment that extended the half into the 56th minute. Solskjaer accepted the error of his ways by introducing Anthony Martial and switching to the favoured 4-2-3-1, but lethargy was rife and Chelsea deservedly went ahead through Olivier Giroud.
Not for the first time this season Victor Lindelof and De Gea were both found wanting for Giroud's near post flick. United need only glance across Manchester or at Merseyside and realise championship challengers require a world-class goalkeeper and centre-back and they do not have either. De Gea lost that status over a year ago and in a week where he had a propitious night at Selhurst Park it has been bookended by unconvincing acts of goalkeeping that have cost United.
Mount killed the contest a minute after the restart, via De Gea's hologram hands and a wayward Williams pass, and the introductions of Pogba and Mason Greenwood could not enliven a defeatist United and Maguire put through his own net.
Callum Hudson-Odoi clumsily upended Martial inside the area though Lampard will not have grumbled about another penalty awarded to United. Fernandes scored and 'Glory glory Man United' greeted it. There has been no glory for three years.
