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ShedEnder91

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Specifically the team that won the UEFA Youth League.

Of all the youth teams I've seen this was the best. It had pace, power, individual skill, excellent passing, strength in defence and the only less than impressive area was goal.

It just makes me wonder if this could be/could've been our 'class of '92' moment where we get a whole group of youngsters who come through and form the backbone of the squad for the next decade.

The team that day was

                                 Bradley Collins

Ola Aina   Jake Clarke-Salter   Andreas Christensen   Jay DaSilva

                  Charlie Colkett     Ruben Loftus-Cheek

                                   Jeremie Boga

  Izzy Brown                                                       Charley Musonda

                                  Dom Solanke

Even the bench that day was impressive with Tomori, Palmer, Abraham and Scott.

So far Loftus-Cheek has made the most progress towards a first-team place but there's a case for most of these players making the first team. Unfortunately we seem to have a couple who might not see a future here (Aina and Solanke). Musonda and Christensen look set to spend another year on-loan which may or may not help their chances here.

For me this team represents everything hopeful about this club, but also highlights everything wrong with it. The potential there is extraordinary and everything done up to this point has been exemplary but there are so many examples of talented players who have come before haven't their development either interrupted by poor decisions or chances simply not being given.

So which of these players has the best chance? Do any of them really or is the notion of a group of young players coming through the club old-fashioned now?

 
ShedEnder91 said:
Specifically the team that won the UEFA Youth League.

Of all the youth teams I've seen this was the best. It had pace, power, individual skill, excellent passing, strength in defence and the only less than impressive area was goal.

It just makes me wonder if this could be/could've been our 'class of '92' moment where we get a whole group of youngsters who come through and form the backbone of the squad for the next decade.

The team that day was

                                 Bradley Collins

Ola Aina   Jake Clarke-Salter   Andreas Christensen   Jay DaSilva

                  Charlie Colkett     Ruben Loftus-Cheek

                                   Jeremie Boga

  Izzy Brown                                                       Charley Musonda

                                  Dom Solanke

Even the bench that day was impressive with Tomori, Palmer, Abraham and Scott.

So far Loftus-Cheek has made the most progress towards a first-team place but there's a case for most of these players making the first team. Unfortunately we seem to have a couple who might not see a future here (Aina and Solanke). Musonda and Christensen look set to spend another year on-loan which may or may not help their chances here.

For me this team represents everything hopeful about this club, but also highlights everything wrong with it. The potential there is extraordinary and everything done up to this point has been exemplary but there are so many examples of talented players who have come before haven't their development either interrupted by poor decisions or chances simply not being given.

So which of these players has the best chance? Do any of them really or is the notion of a group of young players coming through the club old-fashioned now?
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Musonda, Christenssen strike out to me as the ones with the best chance simply because of the club and the league they are in along with how frequently they are starting. While I understand that these youngsters are capable of a lot of potential, If these youngsters are not able to start for the clubs they are loaned in then I dont think they are ready yet. 

 
If half that group don't contribute to the first team within the next few years I'd say that's a failure.

 
The problem lays at the clubs door, musonda goes out on loan after not getting a sniff here and does well in la liga, christensen likewise in bundesliga, both were saying they need to be playing to continue to improve and both it seems dug their heels in to get their respective loans, why the club insists on bringing in turkeys to play back up instead of actually using these youngsters is beyond me to be honest, how much is christensen on likewise musonda/solanke instead we get djillibodji and falcao/pato, at other clubs they get them amongst the first team to see if they are up to scratch and show confidence in them, they are unfortunately an after thought for us.

The thing is even a good loan spell doesnt buy you a crack at the first team, it would seem we would sooner sell them let them develop at another club then buy them back, if thats the case jack the youth setup in as its a pointless exercise, the only point of a youth academy is to develop youth players for your first team!

 
Maksimov said:
So we can pretty safely assume it will be a failure.
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Christensen and Musonda are on track to come back (in theory, hard to know because this is uncharted territory for this club). Loftus-Cheek is already here so you only need two more and the obvious ones would be DaSilva, Solanke and Aina. Unfortunately there's question marks over two of them. Brown and Boga seem to be wasting their time on loan and Clarke-Salter and Colkett are probably too young to judge.

The other player I think could get a chance is Lewis Baker. Turned 21 yesterday and he's had a sneaky good season at Vitesse. Funnily enough I was just looking at Bazoer's stats and Lewis's are very similar albeit in a mid-table team. 

 
ShedEnder91 said:
So which of these players has the best chance? Do any of them really or is the notion of a group of young players coming through the club old-fashioned now?
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Players who I think will make it at Chelsea in a reasonable capacity - Christensen, Musonda, Colkett, DaSilva

Players that I dont see making it big (either chelsea or otherwise)  - Loftus-Cheek, Collins, Clarke-Salter

Cant say - Ola Aina, Boga, Solanke, Brown

 
Orpington_Blue said:
Players who I think will make it at Chelsea in a reasonable capacity - Christensen, Musonda, Colkett, DaSilva

Players that I dont see making it big (either chelsea or otherwise)  - Loftus-Cheek, Collins, Clarke-Salter

Cant say - Ola Aina, Boga, Solanke, Brown
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If they don't make it big, isnt that making it in a reasonable capacity?

Maksimov said:
So we can pretty safely assume it will be a failure.
Click to expand...
Take a break from the pessimism. 1 is already starting matches, another starts for a team who just played in the CL this season, another is getting rave reviews in Spain. That's pretty good for a bunch of teens. They don't have to be superstars but starting a dozen games a season is a good contribution they are all capable of.

 
Wouldn't it have been Beeney in goal with that team? I think Collins has a bit more about him anyway though. 

 
TheChelseaBlues said:
If they don't make it big, isnt that making it in a reasonable capacity?
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Yeah. Bad choice of words. Making it big for me means being a solid PL level player through out the career. Dont think RLC and JCS will achieve that.

RLC in particular looks like will end up in championship sooner rather than later. Reminds me of Kalou every time I see him play.

 
Orpington_Blue said:
Yeah. Bad choice of words. Making it big for me means being a solid PL level player through out the career. Dont think RLC and JCS will achieve that.

RLC in particular looks like will end up in championship sooner rather than later. Reminds me of Kalou every time I see him play.
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My man, bad example. Kalou has had a pretty solid pro career, entirely in the first division of whatever country he's played in.

 
TheChelseaBlues said:
My man, bad example. Kalou has had a pretty solid pro career, entirely in the first division of whatever country he's played in.
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Bottom rung german teams are about as good as Championship level. Also, being english its unlikely RLC will go to the mainland.

 
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There were 3 or 4 of us on the previous version of this forum who used to go down to Harlington and watch training youth and First team and some went along to youth team games at Aldershot.

This was around the mid to late 90's we had a brilliant youth team with lots of potential I can't say categorically better than today I don't actually know.

Only the real stand out players made the first team and to be honest not much since, amazing were JT of course looked class from the start. Even better was Carlton Cole and a brilliant midfielder was Jody Morris.

My point is not a lot, despite investment has changed. Personally think it is the need for instant success.

 
TheChelseaBlues said:
If one of them has Mikels career thats a success? Nah Im not having that
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Yeah who'd want Mikel's career... 360+ games for Chelsea, 60+ international caps, won the Premier League (x2), Champions League, FA Cup (x4), League Cup (x2), Europa League, Africa Cup of Nations...

 
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