Possibly, but it's so very rare that we get a competitive game where we have nothing to lose really, and I thought Jose would have done more for the boy after bigging up 'academy day'.

no doubt the experience was good...but it's not much for him, the coach or the fans to go on going forward. Has a token feel to it.

Gary Neville hit the nail on the head

The right thing to do is to bring him in slowly so he’s comfortable,” he said. “You don’t want the situation where you’re substituting the kid off because he can’t handle it.

“Jose Mourinho’s responsibility is to Chelsea Football Club but if he can bring young players through, and particularly English ones, it’s a huge responsibility for the national team. If they get in the Chelsea team you know full-well there’s a good chance he’ll play for England if he plays for Chelsea.”

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11668/9600821/chelsea-3-1-sporting-lisbon-can-ruben-loftus-cheek-can-go-all-the-way

So bit of a wild theory on my part.

 

RLC is going to be involved with the first team squad from January, what's the chances of him being Salah's "replacement" should he be sent out on loan for the rest of the season in the New Year? 

That would give us an extra "holding" midfielder and one less "attacking" midfielder.

From what I understand RLC would be more likely to play in the 2 behind the attacking 3.

I think Salah will go in Jan but I dont think his squad space will be filled. Also RLC would count as homegrown and under 21 so wouldnt need a squad space i believe. Unless its for the CL.

What I liked about Jose's introduction was that he surrounded him with Matic, Mikel and Ramires - three bodyguards if you will. That gave him free reign just to have a run-about on the pitch which is a nice way to bring him along.

 

With him and Ake able to play in midfield I think that probably closes the door on Chalobah which is an almighty shame. Maybe he'll drop back into defence or play his way back into contention but I think we've scuppered his development terribly which is a massive shame.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygYnnsWuqvc#t=19

I wondered what they were laughing about last night. To be fair, it wasn't that funny, and a bit unprofessional of souness and carragher. Souness does look like a closet pedo though.

I wondered what they were laughing about last night. To be fair, it wasn't that funny, and a bit unprofessional of souness and carragher. Souness does look like a closet pedo though.

 

I remember reading Dennis Wise's biography a few years back and he said that football training grounds and dressing rooms are a source of dark humour. 

 

Okay football has probably evolved a bit since his playing days but I dare say that's still true to an extent and I'm not going to pretend that it's beneath me to laugh at a friend who has a slip of the tongue like Neville did. 

I'd much prefer that than stony face pundits like Roy Keane. Shows they're human, even if it wasn't that funny.

I wondered what they were laughing about last night. To be fair, it wasn't that funny, and a bit unprofessional of souness and carragher. Souness does look like a closet pedo though.

Yeah don't think it was funny at all but then again maybe they were just in a laughing mood

I remember reading Dennis Wise's biography a few years back and he said that football training grounds and dressing rooms are a source of dark humour. 

 

Okay football has probably evolved a bit since his playing days but I dare say that's still true to an extent and I'm not going to pretend that it's beneath me to laugh at a friend who has a slip of the tongue like Neville did. 

 

I can understand in the dressing room, behind the scenes, but in a studio on live t.v. is a bit moronic tbh. They only have to look back to the situation with Richard keys and andy gray to realise that people pick up on what these pundits say on t.v. and it can get them in hot water. It is a good job this wasn't on terrestrial t.v. otherwise OFCOM would probably have complaints pouring in. Don't get me wrong, i'm not opposed to that sense of humour, and i'd be a hypocrite to say otherwise (especially as my friends and i have made similar jokes when socialising together), however when you're a pundit or presenter on t.v. you really have to think smarter about what you say live on the air (and even off the air on occasions). 

Oh to be 18 again, I think. Imagine playing for a big team at 18; imagine playing for Chelsea at 18! Surely, the country now has some promise in these youngsters for the next and following world cup?

I'd much prefer that than stony face pundits like Roy Keane. Shows they're human, even if it wasn't that funny.

 

strangely enough, i find the likes of keane and scholes quite amusing as they just tell it like it is and don't worry about what others think. however, they are not the best of analysts. 

It was a funny moment seeing Carragher and Souness giggling. You never see that side.

You can see how it's dodgy ground given that Keys and Gray got sacked for similar sort of incidents. There's no way Sky would let Neville and Carragher go though.

"Pulling a kid off"..nice one Gary!

So bit of a wild theory on my part.

 

RLC is going to be involved with the first team squad from January, what's the chances of him being Salah's "replacement" should he be sent out on loan for the rest of the season in the New Year? 

I dont think he'll replace Salah. Besides all that would mean is that he would be a member of the squad and would make the occasional apperance. Jose fu**ed up against Sporting. There was plenty of time to give him a proper runabout and he only gave him 10 mins. I dont think he trusts Ruben yet to be a impact sub, which is effectively what Salah is. 

Edited December 13, 201411 yr by Carefree94

He was excellent against Sporting. Perhaps we will see him playing in FA Cup. I would like to see him more often on the pitch.

I honestly think he got a game because Baker was injured. I think if Baker wasnt injured then it would have been Baker who played instead.

'I had Ruben Loftus-Cheek on the bench and I have to say that, in my opinion, next year, this kid will be a big surprise in the Premier League,' Mourinho said after the win over West Ham.

 

'This season, if I was not playing for the title and if we were not playing with the pressure we have when you are playing for the title, this kid would already be on the pitch.

 

'But it's step-by-step and today was again a day for (Kurt) Zouma to help John (Terry) and (Gary) Cahill in a game when (Diafra) Sakho and (Enner) Valencia are very difficult opponents.'

 

 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2980800/Jose-Mourinho-says-Ruben-Loftus-Cheek-good-play-Chelsea-s-team-won-t-risk-youngster-title-run-in.html#ixzz3TVf0OfPG 

Be interesting to see if he gets a chance next season then.

Be interesting to see if he gets a chance next season then.

 

Don't hold your breath is all I'm saying. 

I have always rated rlc, probably more than some on here but are we planning on not fighting for the title next season?

I want to believe Jose is sincere but he's ultra conservative when it comes to using young players and it's hard to see him using a player that young with any regularity in a non-peripheral position.

I guess on the other hand I've could argue that's exactly what he's doing with zouma...

 

'I had Ruben Loftus-Cheek on the bench and I have to say that, in my opinion, next year, this kid will be a big surprise in the Premier League,' Mourinho said after the win over West Ham.

 

'This season, if I was not playing for the title and if we were not playing with the pressure we have when you are playing for the title, this kid would already be on the pitch.

 

'But it's step-by-step and today was again a day for (Kurt) Zouma to help John (Terry) and (Gary) Cahill in a game when (Diafra) Sakho and (Enner) Valencia are very difficult opponents.'

 

 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2980800/Jose-Mourinho-says-Ruben-Loftus-Cheek-good-play-Chelsea-s-team-won-t-risk-youngster-title-run-in.html#ixzz3TVf0OfPG 

 

Said the same about Chalobah, that turned out well. 

I think the only way rlc will get minutes, us if we are winning 3 nil, or if we get the league sewn up early. The trouble is, he isn't on the bench every game, so it becomes even less likely that he plays.

Maybe it would be better if teams could name 20-22 in the squad, so there is more of chance for the youngsters to play. I'm pretty sure that's how it is in Italy, and it would give us the chance to play the kids a bit more if we got a few goals up.

I have always rated rlc, probably more than some on here but are we planning on not fighting for the title next season?

I want to believe Jose is sincere but he's ultra conservative when it comes to using young players and it's hard to see him using a player that young with any regularity in a non-peripheral position.

I guess on the other hand I've could argue that's exactly what he's doing with zouma...

 

If there is any chance of winning the title before the last game of the season you'd like to think Jose will be true to his word and give RLC a start in whatever games are left (big ifs and buts involved in this hypothetical scenario obviously). That might be seen as a bit of an audition for the lad and if it goes well he might see himself as 5th choice for the attacking midfield. 

 

I would love to see Bamford as 3rd choice striker next season and so if Bamford and RLC were active members of the first team squad next season it would be a good reflection of the academies progress. 

The thing is the youngsters then have to get by the likes of Mikel, Ramires, Drogba, Remy etc to get a start.

It's so tough but if you don't take chances then you don't get the rewards of unearthing a Terry, Sterling, Stones and the likes.

Edited March 5, 201511 yr by Chelsbear

I have always rated rlc, probably more than some on here but are we planning on not fighting for the title next season?

I want to believe Jose is sincere but he's ultra conservative when it comes to using young players and it's hard to see him using a player that young with any regularity in a non-peripheral position.

I guess on the other hand I've could argue that's exactly what he's doing with zouma...

 

Yeah, so your point is?!!!

 

I agree with you G4 and share your skepticism. As good as many of our youngsters look, we have a recent history of going out and buying the finished article - or at least what is supposed to be. And I can totally understand that as much as it frustrates me. It most be so hard for our coach to bring through younger players when the expectations are so high and we are challenging on all fronts. The time to try it is when you are going through a "transitional period" but that was probably us last season and is unlikely to be us again any time soon.

 

I always argued the case to have someone like Josh, or Ake, or RLC etc on the bench and when we are in a home game against a mid-table side / easier opposition to bring them on for 20 minutes or so. That doesn't seem too difficult to me. But it just doesn't happen. The only one getting a look-in is Zouma and it's no coincidence that he happens to be built like the proverbial BSH as we all know how Jose likes players of that ilk (that said RLC is not exactly waif-like!!)

 

I know it is very early days but the jury is out as far as I'm concerned on Cuadrado. I'll eat my words if he turns out to be brilliant for us in the future but I would have rather seen us keep Schurrle and when he was mis-firing, try someone like Boga out wide. I saw Gokham Toure cause Liverpool problems last week, another youngster we deemed not good enough. Possibly right, but sometimes I feel we just give up too easily on these players and I guess again, that all comes back down to the pressure and expectations.

 

 

 

 

 

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