To be honest I'm starting to think some of our critics are right. I mean, it's nigh on impossible for a youngster to break through to our squad anyway, but we stockpile about 3 or 4 kids for every position, making it even harder. Then we invariably loan them out to clubs where they hardly get a game, wasting year after year of their development until its too late for them and we move onto the next round and do the same thing again. I can't imagine we're even really making much money from it, we generally have to pay a transfer fee to get them, plus then wages, and I'm sure we're paying their wages whilst they're on loan, and at the end of several years of that, we might make a little bit of money from a transfer fee, but i doubt it even covers what we paid them over the course of their contract.

 

We should be focusing on quality, not quantity. We're taking everyone and anyone with a bit of talent and throwing loans at them, hoping one of them breaks through, when we should be identifying our few top talents, and actually working hard on ensuring they at the very least get a fair crack at a chance.

To be honest I'm starting to think some of our critics are right. I mean, it's nigh on impossible for a youngster to break through to our squad anyway, but we stockpile about 3 or 4 kids for every position, making it even harder. 

 

Don't believe it. Have you ever stopped and noticed all the former United academy players in the Premier League? Some names that come to mind are Paul Pogba, Gerard Pique, Danny Welbeck, Kieran Richardson, Frazier Campbell, Jonathan Greening, Federicho Macheda, Guiseppi Rossi, Richie de Laet, Ryan Shawcross, Chris Eagles, Phil Bardsley, and the list goes on... They stockpiled so many promising young kids and for the most part, never gave them a proper chance, loaning them out to their feeder club in Belgium or in the lower divisions and then selling them to average Premier League/Championship clubs or abroad.

 

We're now among the top football clubs in the world and thus it'll be tough for young players to break through. Only the cream can do it. Look at Madrid for instance, Callejon has been a revelation for Napoli but he couldn't get a sniff in there. Now, Varane is starting to become a regular at Madrid. Not every player in our academy has the skill/ability to become a Chelsea regular and inevitably some who do may be overlooked and go on to have a great career. But I think it's very promising that Ake, Zouma, Christiansen, Solanke and Baker are all getting proper sniffs at the first team and hopefully all of them can stay here for the better part of their careers and continue improving and become the next generation of Chelsea stars.

Don't believe it. Have you ever stopped and noticed all the former United academy players in the Premier League? Some names that come to mind are Paul Pogba, Gerard Pique, Danny Welbeck, Kieran Richardson, Frazier Campbell, Jonathan Greening, Federicho Macheda, Guiseppi Rossi, Richie de Laet, Ryan Shawcross, Chris Eagles, Phil Bardsley, and the list goes on... They stockpiled so many promising young kids and for the most part, never gave them a proper chance, loaning them out to their feeder club in Belgium or in the lower divisions and then selling them to average Premier League/Championship clubs or abroad.

Not a very good example, half of those are academy players/joined when they were still kids (Welbeck, Richardson, Campbell, Shawcross, Bardsley and Eagles) and the other half still made appearances/got a chance for United so they weren't just bought for the sake of it. I mean, Macheda made 19 appearances for United and he's f**king awful. 

Not a very good example, half of those are academy players/joined when they were still kids (Welbeck, Richardson, Campbell, Shawcross, Bardsley and Eagles) and the other half still made appearances/got a chance for United so they weren't just bought for the sake of it. I mean, Macheda made 19 appearances for United and he's f**king awful. 

 

That's exactly my point though, and the same could be said about Bertrand, di Santo or McEachran. Some of them made a handful or more appearances for the club but it didn't work out. So I don't think it's impossible like the critics say to break through into the squad. You're just going to have to be class. Macheda made 19 appearances because he scored important goals in his first two. Once the goals dried up, people realized he didn't have the talent to cut it at OT. It shouldn't be a shot against their/our youth teams because the players don't break into the first team.

Not surprised Kalas isnt getting game time. looked a marginal talent to me. Recalling him in January and find another team were he has to try and break through again would be stupid imo. Piazon is also doing f**k all in Germany, too big a leap for him, should have kept him in the Dutch league and maybe got someone to pony up a fee for him.

The Mail have done a feature on 'homegrown' players in Europe's top 5 leagues (England, Germany, Spain, Italy, France):

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2812345/It-s-official-Barcelona-s-academy-produces-level-players-43-La-Masia-graduates-currently-playing-Europe-s-leading-five-leagues.html?login#readerCommentsCommand-message-field

 

Going by the quality of their research on Chelsea players, it's totally inaccurate. They've managed to leave off Bertrand, Di Santo, Piazon, Kalas, T Hazard, to name just 5.

 

EDIT: If Rooney counts as a homegrown United player (he does), we can add Mikel and Matic, too. Plus Baker, Zouma, Solanke, Courtois and Chrstensen.

Edited October 31, 201411 yr by Backbiter

By the way, Thorgan Hazard scored a brilliant goal in the German Cup this week for Gladbach. Hope he will start to get more opportunities with the first team with strikes like this. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2814761/Thorgan-Hazard-scores-stunner-Borussia-Monchengladbach-remind-Chelsea-talent-eat-heart-Eden.html?ito=video_player_click

The Mail have done a feature on 'homegrown' players in Europe's top 5 leagues (England, Germany, Spain, Italy, France):

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2812345/It-s-official-Barcelona-s-academy-produces-level-players-43-La-Masia-graduates-currently-playing-Europe-s-leading-five-leagues.html?login#readerCommentsCommand-message-field

 

Going by the quality of their research on Chelsea players, it's totally inaccurate. They've managed to leave off Bertrand, Di Santo, Piazon, Kalas, T Hazard, to name just 5.

 

EDIT: If Rooney counts as a homegrown United player (he does), we can add Mikel and Matic, too. Plus Baker, Zouma, Solanke, Courtois and Chrstensen.

They also left out Lukaku and Atsu, and van Aanholt. So their figure of 12 should, if they are consistent, be 27.

That would put us 5th on their list, behind only Barca, Real, ManU and Lyon.

 

This is where the Mail got its figures from:

http://www.football-observatory.com/IMG/pdf/wp86_eng.pdf

Bamford scored today

Bertrand seems to have established himself at LB at Southampton, playing well. As I;m sure lots of us knew he would do.

Chalobah got a massive 10 minutes

I'm quite frankly disappointed that we have so many players out on loan, when realistically we'll be better off selling them and making some cash! There are so many players that we have just on loan right now that im sure we could sell and make a profit, as im pretty certain none of them are first team material anyway, and it doesnt help that some of our key players are already quite young like Hazard, Oscar etc...

 

I've compiled a small list of players who I for sure would be happy to see go come January or in the summer:

 

Ulisels Davila

Gael Kakuta

Marko Marin

Victor Moses

Josh Mceachran

Matej Delac

Fernando Torres.

 

These are just a few off the top of my head that I know almost for sure that we don't need at all as their positions are well covered.

It isnt as simple as just selling them. We have to find a team willing to actually buy the player and then the player has to actually agree to go there and maybe take a pay cut.

It just isnt as easy as it sounds selling a player.

It isnt as simple as just selling them. We have to find a team willing to actually buy the player and then the player has to actually agree to go there and maybe take a pay cut.

It just isnt as easy as it sounds selling a player.

 

These players (aside from maybe torres) probably dont rake in huge wages anyway, so it should be easy on that part. And im sure a lot of teams will want some of these players, it doesn't matter what level they play at.

 

And plus, as a last resort we can just release them

With many players, the point of a loan is to increase their value rather than to develop them for Chelsea.

With many players, the point of a loan is to increase their value rather than to develop them for Chelsea.

 

I know, but i'd rather offer them in swap deals now, we already have great talent coming through our u21 squad, who are mostly english and homegrown

This is real life not football manager. Swap deals hardly ever happen.

And even if they did, no one is gonna want to swap with Gael f**king Kakuta.

bamford scored today

An assist for Kakuta today, not sure what he done only seen via livescore but an assists an assist lol.

Well, he's playing a lot better than any of us expected. Will never fulfill even half of his potential but he should make a solid top division player for most of his career

Bertrand is playing well at Southampton, had a great assist on Monday. I really think he deserves another chance at Chelsea.

Edited November 26, 201411 yr by Kage

Bertrand is playing well at Southampton, had a great assist on Monday. I really think he deserves another chance at Chelsea.

 

He's found his level. Filipe Luis is struggling to get games so Bertrand would have no chance.

So excited for Bamford, he's my favorite youth guy out on loan. Him and Kalas, who I rate higher than Zouma.

So excited for Bamford, he's my favorite youth guy out on loan. Him and Kalas, who I rate higher than Zouma.

 If only Cologne felt that way, hasnt gotten a game since he moved there.