Chelsea youth

Sean_RedDevil

Sturridge - Games or gone
Frank Arnesen wants to bring Kakuta, Bruma and Van Aanholt with him to Hamburg
Mancienne, Borini, Cork and Woods are leaving Chelsea in the summer too

So only one youth player (McEachran) could be in the first team in the next season.

It`s been a long time since a player from their academy has been promoted to the first team, Huth was the last one.
Aren´t they all not good enough for a big team like Chelsea or Chelsea don`t really care about their youth teams (A question espcially for @Duffer and Team_Brian_GB)??????

Rooney1987

What is the deal with McEachran seen him a few times for reserves/under 18s never really impressed. I've only seen him only 3 or 4 times you cant judge young players on that but hes rated as high as Wilshere

MacMUFC

I'd like to know who people are more impressed by, McEachran or Ravel Morrison?

Team Brian GB

I mentioned this in the match thread for premier league games over the weekend. I am left bewildered by our youth policy, we have ploughed so many resources into youth development yet when push comes to shove they have't been given chances at the highest level apart from very token appearances for appearances sake. It is difficult to judge our players because they are not even given runs in the first team - we had a shortage of defenders at time over the winter yet the likes of Bruma and Van Aanholt were largely ignored - since November our strikers have been very poor yet we allowed Borini to go to Swansea in March where he has scored something like 7 in 9 yet he was given not a single appearance in any competion for the Chelsea first team in the six months to then. Daniel Sturridge is a more obvious case, he was limited to the odd 70/80th minute substitution - he got less playing time and appearances than Kalou has. If Kalou is in and around the first XI next year and Sturridge isn't then something is very clearly wrong.

Mancienne will likely go, Scott Sinclair did go and looks very, very good in doing so and many others will do so as well.

Cutch

I seen the 2 of them directly up against eachother in the youth cup game and Morrison tore him a new one.

Team Brian GB

Daniel Sturridge is the obvious breakthrough candidate though the prospect I am most excited about coming through is Ryan Bertrand - at left back. He has looked very solid and capable going forward everywhere he has been and when he has had opportunities in the first XI.

The problem is he will be 22 by the start of the upcoming season, we have to become better at embedding players into the team otherwise they'll all get frustrated and go elsewhere. We should institute a policy where we will play such players in cup matches and ever increasingly in the league - Ashley Cole is 30 though he is the sort of player who will play every single game and then suddenly retire, following which we would have to bring in someone quickly as opposed to a long term transitioning.

Team Brian GB

The interesting thing about McEachran is that he has never been out on loan and therefore player consistent professional football. He has never had week in, week out, football at any level which I would have thought bodes quite poorly for his development. To proclaim someone a great player in the making when they have had three months in league one, three months in the championship etc on top of appearances here and there is one thing, but when they haven't played regular bar youth and reserve games that is quite another.

humdinger

Did Bertrand not come on during a match fairly recently and look impressive and then set up a goal or something? Am I thinking of someone else?

TheReligion

Hitler Youth

Pogue Mahone

I thought McEachran was the best player on the pitch in the first leg. He's definitely a special talent.

mufcwarm92

It's interesting hearing the view from a Chelsea fan. It must be frustrating seeing all this talent pushing through the ranks but not being given much of a chance. Abramovic doesn't seem to have much patience with youngsters, even though it seems like there is some real talent coming through the ranks. Bruma, Van Aanholt and Kakuta are very highly rated but have barely had a look in. McEachran has had a few chances but it will be interesting to see how much time he's given to develop - he's been thrown in very early.

Walrus

The few times I have seen Kakuta he has looked bloody good. If Chelsea lose him then great as far as im concerned. You look at Kakuta and compare to someone like Hernandez. The difference in terms of matchtime and appearances afforded to them is crazy. Kakuta could have every bit as big an impact as the likes of Hernandez, Smalling, Rafael/Fabio, Wilshere or Bale if he was given the opportunity, but Chelsea arent willing to put trust into him (or others)


Sturridge is another strong candidate. It seems daft that City let him go, and when Chelsea snapped him up I again thought they had gotten a promising player on their hands. Yet again, rather than have faith, he is shipped off to Bolton (I dont disapprove of the loan deal in itself, we have done the same with Welbeck) where he has impressed, but now the word is that they are going to lose him? He would probably have done a damn sight more than Torres has done so far.

Team Brian GB

He provided an assist for Malouda against Birmingham.

vuc

Branislav Ivanovic's son of course.



Josh McEachran is the one for me. He looks very good, and doesn't waste possession or even get phased whilst in possession.

Also, the Kakuta lad. He looks the business, just needs game time.

humdinger

I thought he was very good as well, especially in the first half - a couple of excellent through balls.

It's the obvious comment, but he does need to bulk up a bit, he's a skinny wee guy and got brushed aside a bit.

TheHorse'sMouth

McEachran is more talented than Wilshere. I'd like to see whether he copes as well as Wilshere has done every week in the Premiership though, he's class and has a lot of time on the ball for someone so young.

mufcwarm92

Can't say I agree with you there, I went to that game and thought, bar a couple of good touches and passes, McEachran was pretty poor. The player that impressed me was the Chelsea no.4, Chabolah, but he was torn a new one in the second leg so it just goes to show that you can never judge on one game. From watching glimpses of McEachran here and there, he looks to have bags of natural talent, an excellent touch and a great eye for a pass. I just wonder how much of a chance he'll be given, with Chelsea supposedly after a creative midfielder this summer.

Danny1982

"He is about to equal Fernando Torres goal tally for the season"

Team Brian GB

It isn't really to do with Abramovich, these players have been at Ancelotti's disposal yet he hasn't used them. I was wondering this season what had became of Borini as he made a few bright appearances last year, especially as everything was falling apart so to see him and Sturridge go off early in the year and score goals aplently whilst we have been stumbling is very frustrating.

Daniel Sturridge has scored 8 league goals since joining Bolton - Drogba, Torres, Anelka and Kalou have also scored 8.

Team Brian GB

These are my thoughts precisely, we are not willing to place trust in young players, even midseason when our established players are not playing well.

Marching

Is that Michael Woods? IF so, he's the lad they poached from Leeds...ended up costing Chelsea £5 million in a court settlement for Woods and another lad called Tom Taiwo who they sold to Carlisle.

Great bit of business there for Leeds.

Cutch

I meant to say it was only the second leg i watched. I do think McEachrans a good prospect but that particular game Morrison was exceptional.

Donkey's Ears

Given that you fire managers for not winning the title every year, they naturally feel wary of risking too many young players and the inevitable pains of developing them.

KM

They have also got that young lad Nathan Chabolah(sp?), I think. He is a center-back and is really, really highly rated. Their right back also looked good when they played against in the youth cup(had a ridiculous scoring record for a right back)

TheHorse'sMouth

It's the problem you have with an owner like Abramovich. He's put a significant amount of money into saving your club, he wants results not managers faffing about with young players.

duffer

Huth was not an academy product, we signed him as a 16/17 year old if memory serves. Terry is the last player to come through the ranks for us I think.

It's a strange thing, we've spent a truckload in the last few years on our youth team (which has been fairly successful) but the just don't seem to give them a chance. Too much pressure on the manager to get results maybe.

For next season Bertrand seems a perfect back up for Cole and McEachran should get more time on the pitch but apart from them, I can't see many other breaking into our squad (unless a few players leave).

Players like Bruma (who has already played for the Dutch national team) must despair when he see's us spunking 20-odd million on another centre back or an out of position Ferreira playing ahead of him.

Striker10

I wouldn't swap Morrison for him. I think that McEachran maybe talented but the fact is, Morrison etc are just as talented.

Team Brian GB

The club wants to be self sufficient, it isn't going to be if everytime we want a new player we spend tens of millions - Ramires and Luiz are two emerging players in European football beginning to get recognised, we spent £40 Million on them, the year before we spent £17 Million on Zhirkov.

duffer

Thing about Morrison is that he seems a pretty troubled kid, I read the other day in the Guardian that he is on bail at the moment and could be in prison this time next month for assaulting his girlfriend. Will be very interesting to see how Unitd rect to that if he is found guilty.

Team Brian GB

There is a truth in this that the pressure is immense, though my biggest complaint this season is that when it all did fall apart over the winter, Ancelotti kept with the strikers who were failing who are also aging, not giving Sturridge much in chances or Borini any at all. That has to be considered poor management and if I were in their positions I'd consider going as well because if you cannot get in the side when those ahead of you are in their worst form for a few years, when are you going to get in the side?

Decotron

What your thoughts on Connor Clifford? Seems to have stalled alot development wise this season compared to the previous 2 where he made giant strides. Youth Cup winning captain as well. Your version of David Jones ? Id high hopes at one point.

humdinger

They need to be careful or they will struggle to get good young players to join them. Young players with any real ambition, I mean. They will always be able to go buy a good foreigner who is reasonably young, like Luiz, but there's a danger of the club losing it's soul without ever bringing through their own youngsters.

Walrus

Nail on the head with the bolded part I reckon.


So how is the Chelsea squad faring in regard to the homegrown players rules?

Decotron

City are/will be the same.

antihenry

McEachran needs to go out on loan next season to another PL club so he could gain some valuable playing experience. He also needs to put some muscle on that frame. I think Josh has great natural ability and a right mental attitude which is a rare combination at that age, he just needs to be brought up carefully.

Kakuta is gifted but his decision making on the pitch is very poor. He is the type that is equally capable of dribbling past several players in an impressive run and losing the ball or misdirect an easy pass in a simplest of situations.

Ryan Bertrand and Patrick Van Aanholt are both top prospects and imo ready to step in and provide backup to A.Cole if Zhirkov leaves, as expected. Sturridge deserves a chance after impressive stint with Bolton. I'm also looking forward to seeing that Brazilian kid Lucas Piazon that we bought from São Paulo.

Elliott

I'm with Pogue on this one, McEachran was very good in the first leg. He was also England's best player in last summer's U17 Euros. In him, Sturridge, Kakuta and a couple of the youth cup lads who looked the part but whose names escape me, Chelsea have a very good foundation for the future. They seem to put a lot of money and effort into their academy, which makes their unwillingness to have some faith in the kids even weirder.

Team Brian GB

I forgot about him, though I think he isn't due to arrive for some time yet.

We've also got Rajkovic who we spent £4 Million on as a 16 year old who has notched up the best part of 100 appearances in the Netherlands over the last four years, we also have a goalkeeper from Croatia over there who looks as if he will become the Croatian No.1 at some point in time.

Sean_RedDevil

Yep

Decotron

well? any chance of a reply you rude rude bastards

datura

That's a hell of a statement to make. Wilshere looks a far more rounded player to me.