I was at the match yesterday and I don't know it you saw it on television but Zouma was given a special reception from the crowd after the final whistle.

 

The crowd chanted his name, he was the last one down the tunnel, he took the acclaim, he patted the badge on his shirt to show that he feels it, feels something that we all do, and all the other players let him take the glory, giving him centre stage and letting him have his moment.

 

He deserved it. A folk hero has definitely been born. He has the heart of a lion, and above all else, that's the thing Chelsea fans treasure most.

 

Here's the thing and the reason for this post ..

 

Zouma is young, he's unknown and he's coming to everyone's attention with us. He hasn't been loaned out he hasn't received truckloads of plaudits elsewhere. That gives him a bigger connection with the club IMO, hence a bigger connection with the fans.

 

His heart doesn't lie elsewhere, his heart hasn't been won by another set of fans, he has affection for us and us only, we consider him ours, nobody else does.

 

It's more special this way. The downside of the loan system IMO is that it creates a bond between a youngster and another club, possibly more than one club, before they ever really play for Chelsea. I'm not talking about a few games here and there but long spells on loan don't really do it for me.

 

The player is always going to have a special place in his heart for the club that gave him a chance.

 

I prefer it this way, the Zouma way. Zouma would have got a lot more football if he had gone on loan but something possibly would have been broken, that extra little feeling you get, as a player and as fans, when you break through, and you do it all together.

 

I know he comes from France and I know we let his French club keep him till the summer but you get what I mean. A loan looked likely and it didn't happen, and that just makes the feeling so much better. If Lukaku had come back and stayed on, he had already formed a great relationship with two other Premiership clubs, and he was still a pup, and that sort of dilutes it a bit.

 

Edit: What do you guys think .. ?

Edited April 19, 201511 yr by Davey Baby

I agree with you, Davey Baby. I honestly never thought much about it before, but you make some good points about being out on loan.

I agree with you, Davey Baby. I honestly never thought much about it before, but you make some good points about being out on loan.

 

It was clear to me yesterday how much the fans crave that connection with a player, and the loan system sort of f**ks all that up.

 

There's nothing quite like seeing a player coming through.

It's the Z factor

 

 

 

 

Zola

 

Zouma

 

Nothing to do with the loan system and everything to do with a youngster coming in, giving everything in every performance and being a top class footballer.

Zola came to us at 30 and became one of us so not sure what their history has to do with it.

Same goes for Dave,Branna and a few others. You give this club and it's supporters your honest effort and it will be repaid tenfold.

Zhirkov?

 

Great post though Davey, and I fully agree. Zouma is a top player with a wonderful attitude and is clearly adored by the fans, has all the potential to go on to spend a very successful decade at the club.

what's great about him is that he was signed and kept with chelsea this season, played a fair bit of Football AND is very likely to gain the experience and hunger of winning a domestic total in his first full season.

That is invaluable in my opinion and he is clearly a Mourinho favourite as he has been given his chance. He shone yesterday and kept fellani very quiet. Something jose is great at addressing is the opponents major threat.

He is very much a young desailly.

He'll get plenty of time next season.

 

Love the guy. He'll make mistakes but it's important to persevere with him. If he learns from JT he'll not only have the positional sense of JT, but he'll have the strength, speed and height too.