Oliver Kay Sees The Light, Albeit Somewhat Dimly

[Dorset]

“Chelsea’s success at youth level - winning five of the past seven FA Youth Cups as well as the past two Uefa Youth Leagues - is not, on its own, a badge of honour. If they fail to help those players to fulfil their potential, whether at Stamford Bridge or elsewhere, it is a stick with which their supporters, never mind anyone else, are entitled to beat them. Should Nathaniel Chalobah, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Lewis Baker, Isaiah Brown and Solanke go the same way as McEachran, as many fear they will, then Clarke-Salter, Tammy Abraham et al will be entitled to think that they, too, are doomed, victims of a culture that does not know how to nurture talent beyond youth-team level.” 

Oliver Kay (The Times, 8/10/16)

Embedded in a piece entitled ‘England now have the talent: clubs must not stifle it.’ this paragraph encapsulates the view of almost every Chelsea fan who has followed the fortunes of the club’s Academy players for the last decade. Kay’s last line, blaming cultural failure [whatever that may mean] to date comes across as a somewhat wishy-washy explanation for what has been a genuine attempt on the part of all concerned to provide a career path for these youngsters, but the rest hits home and, even though that is where the club’s heart has been throughout, this life blood is in danger of draining away well before any final infusion into the first team. Cultural failure it isn’t - no excessive amount of salary was ever going to interfere with Josh McEachran’s development if he really had the mentality to go with his talent. It is simply a case of not being quite good enough and he is at his true level at Brentford, his brother George being a sibling example following in his footsteps and making further strides, if he can.

No, what is missing here is not culturally-based, but a singular lack of willpower being shown on the part of those who have had a remit to see the process through to completion come hell, high water, low league position, whatever it may be that causes managers to step back from the brave brinkmanship necessary to get two or three of these kids established as first team regulars. Carlo showed a certain willingness, but truth be told no more than that, while Guus was never around long enough for such youthful cause commitment to matter much, either to him or to the hierarchy. So too Jose, who was inevitably going to dampen down evolutionary spirit, with young flames quickly doused in criticism and by the blanketing effect his own quest for glory-at-all-cost has [and always will have] on youthful ambition. Never mind culture not knowing how to nurture talent, it is quality coaches such as these that seemingly cannot deliver, whatever the mitigating circumstance used as an excuse.

But after all is said and very little done, Antonio Conte’s approach feels different somehow. On his watch Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Ola Aina, Nathaniel Chalobah have all caught the eye and are closer to the ultimate breakthrough than any Academy player since JT got his chance, took it and went on to true legendary status. Speaking in similarly glowing terms is, of course, a long way off for these three, but it has started and was definitely in evidence when Gareth Southgate made honourable mention of Chalobah in his first press conference as England interim manager, holding him up as an example of what can be achieved by broadening your experience [playing overseas in Italy] and what this would also do for Joe Hart following his loan move. High praise indeed for the lowlier Nate, especially when you consider Hart’s eminence and much-heralded, super-starry new Italian job, then compare it to our own kid’s previously unheralded and [at the time] much-maligned loan move to Napoli.

Southgate’s insistence on Steve Holland joining him as his assistant is also encouraging, as it only serves to strengthen the ties that have linked us with the England Under-21 squad for some time now, thankfully running contrary to the fractious relationship we’ve had with the FA over the years, a situation not helped by the ruling body and the media continually sniping in tandem and in isolation at Chelsea’s loan policy, despite other top clubs acting in similar fashion. Sadly, Oliver Kay blots this particular copy book in the closing paragraphs of his article as follows:-
  
“It is good news that English football has, at least, begun to face up to questions about youth development - credit to Greg Dyke, the former FA chairman, for insisting that it was kept high on the agenda throughout his tenure - but there are indications that progress was already being made through the Elite Player Performance Plan as well as the belated investment in, and changes to, the way the game is coached at junior level. Far less clear, even now, is whether leading Premier League clubs have the appetite to nurture the talent that their academies produce or, in some instances, recruit.”

Myopic in the extreme, this view of recent grassroots FA backing, combined with further criticism of Premier League clubs perceived ’loss of appetite’ is a bit rich, to say the least. Greg Dyke keeping high ideals high on his agenda meant very little after years of neglect and FA reliance on clubs like Chelsea filling the void on the youth development front, successful or otherwise, deserves acknowledgement regardless of how self-serving its root cause might be. A demob happy Dyke effectively got out while the going was good, something clubs appear to do regularly when it comes to implementing youth policy fully, but we keep ploughing on Academy and loan-wise despite all the media flak we take and that is to the club’s credit. Another carping comparison comes in Kay’s conclusion below, where he decides to major on Rashford’s rather fortuitous progress compared to that of Brown and Solanke, no mention being made of the media-mauled LVG, as instigator of a solitary 18yr-olds advancement, nor the healthy numerical competition facing our own two home grown youngsters as they emerge from the nastiness known only to Kay as stockpiling:-  

“It is no use looking at the structure of English football, cursing the restrictions of a league system that is far too healthy to necessitate or warrant the creation of B teams for the benefit of those who stockpile. You only have to look at the example of Rashford, who this time last year was far behind Brown and Solanke when it came to competition for places in England’s development teams. An injury crisis at United gave Rashford his chance last February and he has barely looked back since. You might have thought that clubs would learn from that, realising that the gap between academy and first-team level is nothing like so great as the one that builds up in managers’ minds as the pressure for results - and the pressure for revenue - intensifies. Academies are doing their bit right now.

The pressure is on managers, whether it is Antonio Conte, Pep Guardiola, José Mourinho or anyone else, to do their bit - and on their clubs to hold them to it.”

In my opinion, this last sentence tries unsuccessfully to cover the tracks of an outmoded media attitude towards us that previously sought to trample all over Roman during [what for Chelsea has been] a decade of Academy advancement, if not complete fulfilment, by shrouding it in sole managerial responsibility. Fair enough, this is the main key and it has always been in the hands of these individuals, yet hardly ever used to unlock the potential within, but should top managers really bear the brunt of the newfound blame? If so, I know which of these three is most likely to respond - Pep doesn’t have a need to and therefore wont. Jose doesn’t want to and therefore wont. Antonio has to… and therefore will.  
.
 

[Charles Ryder]

Gab Marcotti tore into Kay's views on this issue on a recent episode of The Game, iirc.

[Backbiter]

In what way is 'stockpiling' different to 'scouting and recruiting of talented young players who might make the grade'? Is it that other clubs scout and recruit while Chelsea stockpile?

Kay makes some very valid points, so I'd be interested in what Marcotti tore into. Was it the fact that he was just following the media narrative of Chelsea being at the root of all football evil ?

Dorset - you say 'Pep doesn’t have a need to and therefore won't [integrate young talent from his club's Academy]'. Doesn't this apply to Chelsea managers - including Conte - who are routinely given major funds to improve the squad? The issue for all top managers is simple: 'why should I gamble my job on youngsters when the club can bring in proven talent?

I suppose you can turn that around and say: 'Why should I blow millions on other teams' players when my academy produces more talented ones?' The answer could lie in the fact that managers don't spend enough time with the academy so they can't properly evaluate the talent produces.

 

[Backbiter]

54 minutes ago, Backbiter said:

 so they can't properly evaluate the talent produces.

 

I meant 'the talent it produces.'

[Dorset]

On 10/9/2016 at 14:48, Backbiter said:

In what way is 'stockpiling' different to 'scouting and recruiting of talented young players who might make the grade'? Is it that other clubs scout and recruit while Chelsea stockpile?

Kay makes some very valid points, so I'd be interested in what Marcotti tore into. Was it the fact that he was just following the media narrative of Chelsea being at the root of all football evil ?

Dorset - you say 'Pep doesn’t have a need to and therefore won't [integrate young talent from his club's Academy]'. Doesn't this apply to Chelsea managers - including Conte - who are routinely given major funds to improve the squad? The issue for all top managers is simple: 'why should I gamble my job on youngsters when the club can bring in proven talent?

I suppose you can turn that around and say: 'Why should I blow millions on other teams' players when my academy produces more talented ones?' The answer could lie in the fact that managers don't spend enough time with the academy so they can't properly evaluate the talent produces.

 

Pep’s priorities lie in an entirely different direction, BB, effectively putting youth development way down on his to do list. My guess is that the Abu Dhabi boys are targeting Champions League and Premier League title success and for them it’s definitely in that order. The youth developers of their world went on a global scouting mission that’s seen all their best prospects brought in regardless of cost and this has resulted in the best being Spanish - Brahim Diaz, Aleix Garcia and Manu Garcia. The only standout home grown [Manchester-born] youngster is the youth team captain Tosin Adarabioyo, a ball-playing centre-back who was in the City side that lost to us 5-1 in the FA Cup last season and, like FikayoTomori and Jake Clarke-Salter, he still has some way to go to be part of the first team set-up. 

Ironically, Stones arrival has probably delayed his progress in the same way that it would have done for our two centre-back prospects had he come to us, but because the Barnsley boy is so high profile - future England captain in the making - his signing will go some way towards placating those City fans who might otherwise be disappointed with the number of foreign kids that are likely to break through into their first team squad well before any home grown players do. Stones purchase would also help Guardiola deflect any criticism he might get [if they all turn out to be Spanish!] though because almost all of the media men are in awe of him anyway I doubt he’s going to get much flak on the youth development front whether it’s delayed or not and, as I also think it’s always been a secondary consideration for his bosses, he is under no pressure to tackle this issue as a matter of urgency.   

However, contrast that situation to Conte’s at Chelsea… I’m inclined to think Roman has, quite literally, bought into the Academy big time and after all these years must be expecting, perhaps even demanding, to see a return in the form of a few of the youngsters making the first team and staying there. Those arguing differently [that the whole process is simply good business practice on the owner’s part] cannot have seen him at games and witnessed firsthand the enthusiasm he shows when the kids are doing well. Okay it isn‘t rocket science, it makes sense to produce your own players rather than spend a fortune buying them, but you have to think that it will give him far more pleasure seeing nurtured Academy youngsters playing at the Bridge rather than making a few million profit every time he sells a half-decent one - with his billions, I don’t believe a small beer profit ever makes him jump for joy.

My belief, unsubstantiated of course, is that Carlo, AVB and Jose were each tasked with bringing the youth players into the first team squad as and when they were deemed ready by those in charge of the Development squads. In Carlo’s case this coincided with the emergence of Josh McEachran, being the first since JT to work his way up through the ranks, and he must have made a dozen or so starts for him before the Italian went and AVB came in, at which point he hardly got another opportunity. Who knows whether or not Carlo would have persevered with him if he’d stayed or if he might have eventually found favour with AVB if he’d been any good at his own job, but one thing’s for sure - everything that followed in the next few seasons under RobbieD and Guus meant progression from the Academy to first team squad contention virtually came to a full stop. 

Jose’s return brought another priority with it - regaining the Premiership title - but more and more talent was coming through the ranks and still no sign of any of them making the grade. Then, once the title was regained, there was seemingly no excuse anymore for the Special One and RLC became the new McEachran, presented to Jose as the best prospect we had and duly shredded by his criticism which, be it well-intentioned or dismissive, did nothing to improve the mindset of either the individual concerned or the hopefuls looking for a trailblazer to boost their own morale. At this juncture Roman probably lost patience and his frustration, together with bad results and what manifested itself into ’the loss of the dressing room’ revelation like as not cost Jose his job. 

Not that any of this surmise answers your question regarding buying players rather than integrating talent, but it does seem plausible to me and, if I’m right, all the indications are that Antonio Conte was given a similar remit to those managers who went before - why would Roman do otherwise? The signs are initially good, RLC, Aina and Chalobah are as close to first team quality as any player we’ve seen developed over the last decade, while Christensen, Ake and Musonda are seemingly one season away from a career-defining decision being made. Something has to give in terms of regime change or the stockpiling jibe takes on ever-increasing relevance. 

In the last England Under-21 match we had three players selected with another coming on as substitute and in a few hours time the likelihood is that Chalobah, RLC, Baker and Abraham will start against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the next European Championship qualifier. If Conte delivers, some if not all of those named above should be playing in our first team next season. Is that really too much to expect?
   

Edited October 11, 2016 by Dorset

[Backbiter]

A feature on this very issue has just appeared on the Mail site:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-3830433/Roman-Abramovich-assembled-crack-team-Chelsea-plan-includes-secret-transfer-hitlist-finally-bringing-youngsters-matching-Man-Utd-s-commercial-success.html#comments

It confirms (OK, strongly speculates) that progress from the Academy to the first team is a huge priority for RA, but ends with a laughably ambiguous final sentence (probably accidental) intending to stress that RA is here for the long term:

Quote

The owner is not going anywhere – and neither are his club. 

I would argue that the success of the first team will always be his priority, and he's not going to stop strengthening his squad with big money signings just to open up more first team places for the Academy products. Every time we add an Alonso or a Luiz (even if we dispense with a Baba Rahman or a Remy at the same time), it is yet another barrier to the youngsters, yet another example of the club's lack of faith in its home-grown talent.

Any news on Solanke and his contract? He's a bit of a forgotten man.

Edited October 11, 2016 by Backbiter

[Kentonio]

I feel for the club because they're walking a very narrow tightrope. For all we talk about wanting to kids to come through, there's no chance the fans would accept another season or two of mediocrity in exchange for seeing more 20 year olds on the pitch. In the face of the top teams all seeing explosive growth commercially, we also need to be right up there ensuring we don't fall behind and wake up 5 years later suddenly a second tier PL team.

What did piss me off though was the habit Jose especially showed of not giving youngsters a chance even when we were comfortably ahead. If you're 2-0 or 3-0 up with 10 minutes to go and making it look easy, what excuse do you have for not giving them valuable minutes? It smacked of paranoia.

[Backbiter]

On 11/10/2016 at 17:12, Backbiter said:

 

Any news on Solanke and his contract? He's a bit of a forgotten man.

Pleased to see he's not.