The Process, Priorities, Plus Our Portugeezer

 

It may seem strange to start this piece with immediate reference to another club, especially when it is all about our own future, but needs must when the [red] devils drive and this, we can safely predict, will be one of a dwindling number of times they will be holding the reins, let alone centre stage, for the rest of this decade, if not longer. Indeed, maybe that was the main reason why there were plenty of write-ups for a Manchester United side who are in the final of the Under-21 League competition on Wednesday. Left me wondering who they are playing…. only kidding, because as a Chelsea fan I know already, along with knowing that we finished top of the said league which, in the usual course of events, would mean a trophy, but, in this one, doesn’t. Not that I ever thought that this odd non-occurrence came about purely as a direct result of us ending up top of the pile, rather than those family favourite football clubs otherwise known as United and Liverpool. Not at all. Perish the thought. Not even when the U21 Premier League is, undeniably, a League and some might think that’s a clue, right there, in the title. 

 

Still, I don’t mind waiting until Wednesday for us to, how shall we say, rubberstamp our earlier achievement of winning the competition over its predefined course. Moreover, in the intervening period it’s fun to recall our FA youth Cup victory. "Great to watch," said my eldest son-in-law Spurs fan who just happened to be watching the TV with me, "but how many are English?" Well, offhand, I counted into double figures, in line-up and on the bench, and to be fair to Fulham they had a goodly number as well. Telling him so was most enjoyable, but being able to say that Roman had invested a fortune in our Academy and would therefore work towards seeing player graduation in return (or transfer fees for those who don't break through over the coming seasons) somehow made it even better. 

 

And so it was, at that exact bragging-right moment, that the real redemptive truth hit me. Now the title has gone northwest, the call for change rings out, Greg Dyke’s commission speaks with supposed forked tongue, and everything points the way of a brave new world where fame and favour is aching to be bestowed on those who are home grown, predominantly English, and [preferably] performing for Chelsea at the highest level at an earlier stage than ever before. Jose Mourinho knows this is an integral part of the project he is engaged in. He talked about it last week and added the following words of wisdom at Cardiff yesterday:-

 

 

However, such talk is cheap (even for me and I’m one of the most positive decipherers of Mourinho-speak around) unless or until it becomes reality. In this, its embryonic state, mere readiness ahead of summer market activity is just a single piece in the final squad composition jigsaw for next season and I would contend that it isn’t even the biggest, although I accept that others will disagree. Arguably, what matters more is Jose’s original list of priorities, his benchmark order of things to come, and in view of this maybe some common ground can be found amongst Shend-Enders too, reflecting everyone’s aims, set out in some semblance of preference, as opposed to having a separate topic for each, In that way each individual blueprint can be justified by referral to it. Here is my order of importance to be going on with, together with my resultant chosen squad of players and alternative options after applying my particular set of principles, much in the same way as I anticipate Jose has already done for presentation to the board. 

 

1. Players to graduate from the Academy into the first team squad, with more than one advancement for season 2014/15 and a regular conveyor belt system for ever-increasing numbers thereafter.

 

2. More places made available at the last strata level of development (Under-21) to accommodate identified [even younger] outstanding talent coming through. This should be achieved by strict adherence to the above priority and not by an increased use of the loan system.

 

3. Where necessary and regardless of the premium payable, the purchase of English talent should be pursued as a priority, especially when [almost by definition] it is exceptional and not identified as such at any earlier stage within our own system.

 

4. The number of players loaned out should be cut if no advancement into the first team squad is achieved, as the ultimate sale of these players becomes no more than a cost-covering exercise that always goes down badly in terms of our reputation in the ensuing press coverage.

 

5. Major signings should only be made after due reference to the previous priorities, in their order of preference, thereby ensuring that there are fewer of them made and we are more competitive in the market for those that are.         

 

Okay, you could argue that my talk is as cheap as all the rest without some explanation as to who would feature in a personal Chelsea 25-man squad, setting out which players would be targeted in the transfer market, so here is my list - the retentions first, followed by my returning loanee preferences and current Academy choices for inclusion, the alternative options within linked together, with my preference in each case being the first named, followed by second, third and even a fourth choice in midfield:-

 

 

 

 

 

Try as I might, reducing numbers to 25 became an impossibility, but it is as close as I could possibly get and there are many ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ to sort out here, which have doubtless already been addressed by Jose in his report to the board. To pick just a couple of examples to highlight my own priorities, only a successful bid for Luke Shaw supersedes the inclusion of Bertrand in the squad, whereas the selection of Omeruo ahead of Chalobah, combined with no indication of an Academy player breaking through at all, would make me keener to splash out on Ross Barkley. Likewise, deal or no deal involving Lukaku and Barkley, I am not anticipating any sudden Bamford rise to fame and fortune, so that makes me more inclined towards Rooney than Dzeko. Hopefully, the significance of prioritising in this way comes across in these examples and, if there is a catalyst to consider above all else, it is that revolution, in some shape or form, is long overdue whatever your starting point. 

 

And, as Marc Bolan once sung so succinctly, you wont fool the children of the revolution. Nor will this forthcoming Chelsea [transfer/player] revolution prove to be an exception to those prophetic words. Put bluntly, if none of our acclaimed youth or Under21 starlets find their way into our first team squad this summer, never mind the foolishness of youth betrayal in such a policy, the rest of us will no longer be fooled into believing, yet again, that it‘s on the brink of happening. The gaps in the squad are going to be there for the taking and tender age must be no barrier this time around. It’s going to be a heck of a decision by Jose to throw just one kid in at the deep end, let alone more, but there is a strong body of opinion amongst our fans that would advocate that it really is sink or swim time for several, ready or not, English or not.