27 Apr 2017 07:55:21
Congratulations to our U18 youth team and the coaching staff. Last night they won their 4th FA Youth Cup in a row (and 5th in 6 years) by once again beating Man City's youth over two legs. They absolutely demolished City and were extremely dominant throughout.
Names like Dujon Sterling, Castillo, Mount, Trevoh Chalobah, Hudson-Odoi have a ridiculous amount of talent, and it'll be interesting to find out how they develop in the coming years.

Massive congratulations to all those involved, as our youth set up really is one of the absolute best in the world.

1.) 27 Apr 2017
27 Apr 2017 13:30:22
It certainly was impressive, men against boys to be honest. It will be tragic but some of them looked future stars but we know for whatever reason only a couple will probably make it to the first team squad. Jackson's comment highlighted all the real gems, my three for the future being Hudson-Odoi, great season, Mason Mount who ran really well with the ball and Dujon Sterling who looks a very powerful winger.

2.) 27 Apr 2017
27 Apr 2017 13:33:58
Everton is our Championship match. Win and I cannot see us failing whereas I can see Spurs dropping points. They are dangerous going forward but I am not so sure defence wise when under pressure. Mind you we are letting some silly goals in from crosses.

3.) 27 Apr 2017
27 Apr 2017 14:29:56
If the 1st team continues to play with 3 at the back, then Sterling has all the makings to own that RWB spot in a couple of years. Scintillating pace, fantastic strength, good dribbling and a pretty good final ball.

4.) 27 Apr 2017
27 Apr 2017 14:55:20
Agree with you Jackson, and what a joy to watch such adventurous attacking football with wonderful goals!

5.) 27 Apr 2017
27 Apr 2017 15:27:08
Thing I was happiest with wasn't even the players on the pitch it was seeing conte and Abramovich there at the game cheering and actually looking interested in the youth conte must be thinking how can I get a few of these lads into the team they play the same formation we do in first team so when they come in they should know the roles asked of them looking bright in my opinion.

6.) 27 Apr 2017
27 Apr 2017 21:14:24
I disagree with you there Jackson, it isn't one of the best youth setups in the world. It is THE best as they constantly win everything they play for. It's surely only a matter of time until there's a few starting for the first team.

{Ed001's Note - until they are in the first team, then it is not the best, as the object of a youth system is to produce players, not win trophies. It really is irrelevant how many trophies it wins if none of the players are good enough to make it in the future.}

7.) 27 Apr 2017
27 Apr 2017 22:12:06
I don't know if I fully agree with that, Ed001. I do agree with you that winning youth trophies isn't the end goal of the academy. It's a good sign, but it's not the end goal. However I disagree that they have to end up in our first team for the academy to be considered successful. If those youth players end up having a good career elsewhere I'd say the academy did great. If it's not at Chelsea, then so be it. And I think a good amount of those players will have decent to good careers, as the better ones already play first team football in a top league while out on loan.

{Ed001's Note - I didn't mean in your first team mate, I did just mean in first team football in general. Like Southampton's players, they are all over the place, but they have to be considered the best and most successful right now. They will never win trophies because their better youth products are in the first team, rather than playing in the youth cup.}

8.) 28 Apr 2017
28 Apr 2017 07:54:35
By that reasoning a lot of our best kids are out on loan as well. But I do agree they have a fantastic academy it seems. I think the past few generations of youth players that came out of our academy will go on to have solid careers. It's hard to see guys like Baker, Boga, Solanke, RLC, Chalobah, Ake, Abraham, Jay Dasilva. not have good careers, even if it isn't at Chelsea.

{Ed001's Note - which of your best academy players are out on loan? The ones out on loan are almost entirely ineligible for the youth cup mate, so would not have been in contention anyway.

The academy is doing excellent work, I was just pointing out people are getting overexcited about the wrong thing. The FA Youth Cup is not the measure of its success, nor any kind of yardstick as to how well it is doing. It's sole aim is to produce professional footballers, that it is also doing damn well, but it takes so long to see the effects, that it is difficult to judge who is really the best.

It must be said, there are a couple in Portugal which can claim to be far better, especially if you take into account the disparity in finances they have to invest in their academies. For me though, there is only one academy that can be considered the best, Bilbao. They have been at the forefront for years and have not been able to bring in Marseille's best talent (Boga) etc to build an academy side to win trophies. They have to rely on developing only Basque players. Despite their limited pool of players, they have produced quality first team players over a long period of time.}

9.) 28 Apr 2017
28 Apr 2017 09:09:53
Yeah but the FA Youth Cup is under 18, so which under 18 Soton players are playing in the first team that would otherwise contribute to the Youth Cup? That was just my point.

And your point on Bilbao's academy is very true. They're doing a remarkable job over there. It's also why I said "one of the best" instead of just outright calling them the best. Roman invested a LOT of money in it, but I'd say it has paid off. The players are getting excellent coaching and tactical developing from what I've read. When our boys played Schalke's youth (which included a certain Sane) their coach (forgot his name but apparently he's well known) said that he didn't think that any of his players (including Sane) could get a starting spot in Chelsea's youth team. Not one of his guys. He also said that Chelsea were tactically coached the best of the youth teams he'd seen. It's high praise and it shows the investment in the academy paid off.
That said, I never like to talk in extremes, so it's not hard for me to accept that there are better academies out there. Just like it's not hard for me to accept that there are more beautiful women out there than my girlfriend. She still remains the most beautiful in my eyes ;-)

A separate point. What do you think of Boga, Ed001, as you mentioned him as Marseille's best talent. It's been a frustrating season for him at Granada. Every time I see him play the talent is blatantly obvious, yet he hasn't gotten much time on the pitch. What's your opinion on him? If I had a guess, I'd say his decision making and maybe workrate should improve. But it's merely guesswork from my part.

{Ed001's Note - in the case of Soton, it is more that their better youth players are pushed into the U23s, to replace the ones in the first team. While Chelsea have no need to do that, as they have a huge talent pool in the U23s right now.

Boga I find frustrating to watch, clearly talented but lacking in the mental side of the game. A year at Granada was not a good choice for him.}

10.) 28 Apr 2017
28 Apr 2017 09:36:04
Yeah if he could the mental side he'd become a beast. Let's hope he gets it together. Him and Musonda are two disappointing cases from this season. Both are immensely talented, yet the loans have failed them and it feels like a wasted season.

{Ed001's Note - sometimes they learn the most from seasons like this. A setback can turn out to be what makes them.}

11.) 28 Apr 2017
28 Apr 2017 09:41:57
Hopefully that's the case with at least one of them. I remember Ed002 posting that the plan for Musonda was to integrate him in the first team this summer. But I wonder that will have changed with him playing so few games this season. He hasn't gotten a look in under Conte, so I expect another loan for him. It's a shame. As a fellow Belgian I'd love to see Musonda play a squad role for us. He's clearly good.

{Ed001's Note - sometimes it takes a while for them to find their feet in the squad. Next season might be when he steps up.}

12.) 28 Apr 2017
28 Apr 2017 14:10:28
I hope so, Ed, I hope so. But knowing Chelsea he'll probably end up out on loan again.

{Ed001's Note - that would be a shame, but it would be better than sitting in the U23s. That competition has not worked out at all.}

13.) 28 Apr 2017
28 Apr 2017 15:33:58
Very true. I'll be disappointed if he ends up out on loan, but not even making the bench for the first team all season wouldn't be good either.