^ Not sure it's exactly the same thing as a presence of English players, but the connection of the players to the club is something every fan wants. I think Azpi has it. Willian gives it his all every game, but has only had one good half-season so the fans-player connection is not there imho. Also, Mata had it, I thought.

We are an English club so the Connectivity has to be with an English core, because of where we play our football, and who we are, otherwise we become a team of mercenaries with no loyalty..

We are an English club so the Connectivity has to be with an English core, because of where we play our football, and who we are, otherwise we become a team of mercenaries with no loyalty..

 oh like Real Madrid....

We are an English club so the Connectivity has to be with an English core, because of where we play our football, and who we are, otherwise we become a team of mercenaries with no loyalty..

 

It's great to have as many English players as possible, but they don't necessarily have to be English to have that special bond with the club and fans as g3.7 pointed out.

I understand why some fans are desperate to have more English players but dumping 50mil on stones is not the answer. The academy has lots of young English players with bags of potential. With Mou gone they may have more of a chance to get into the team. 

I understand why some fans are desperate to have more English players but dumping 50mil on stones is not the answer. The academy has lots of young English players with bags of potential. With Mou gone they may have more of a chance to get into the team. 

 

Yes because we have scores of little blue Messis, it was only the evil José Gargamelinho who stood in their way.

Yes because we have scores of little blue Messis, it was only the evil José Gargamelinho who stood in their way.

 

Jose was not prepared to take any risks, playing youth is inherently risky.

Yes because we have scores of little blue Messis, it was only the evil José Gargamelinho who stood in their way.

You need to take risk with Youth something we havent done imagine if Kane or any of the tottenham young players were at Chelsea Or Stones and Barkley they would have no chance 

Edited December 28, 201510 yr by Brutos

You need to take risk with Youth something we havent done imagine if Kane or any of the tottenham young players were at Chelsea? Or Stones and Barkley they would have no chance

Only reason Kane got his chance at Spurs was because Adebeyour and Soldado were their senior strikers, its was a perfect storm that he got his chance.

Clubs like Everton can afford to chance youth more often because the risk/reward is different.

Kane was about to be sold wasn't he, or loaned. As fc says, right place right time for him.

Only reason Kane got his chance at Spurs was because Adebeyour and Soldado were their senior strikers, its was a perfect storm that he got his chance.

Clubs like Everton can afford to chance youth more often because the risk/reward is different.

Not excatly Because if you look at the Spurs team now and the amount of young english players is what we need..not more mercernaries. And even if thats the only way he got his chance at least he did when our players are not performing the youth players still cant get a look in what does that do for the youth players at the club?

 

Barca and Real take risk on their youth players they give atleast one a break each season even if its constantly sub appearance something we dont do.

 

Even that we cant match...if we want to become a so called "Elite" then this is certainly needed. Why invest millions in a youth system that you cant or wont use. We needs players who play for Chelsea love the club been thought the youth system knows the club we have a few now but i doubt they will ever get a chance.

Edited December 28, 201510 yr by Brutos

The club said from day one that it would be at least ten years before we saw results from the academy investment.

You can't compare the likes of Barca when they have a B team playing together in a competitive league and they can basically emulate their first team, it must make a transition so much easier.

Spurs have a young English core but have they won and what are they likely to win?

Too many of our fans want their cake and to eat it too, they want top name players signed, a certain style of football played, consistent trophies and an integration of youth.

It's so much easier said than done, personally I don't understand the obsession on youth.

It's so much easier said than done, personally I don't understand the obsession on youth.

 

Wouldn't say there is an obsession with youth. Just don't think it is too much to expect or ask ONE player making it through to the first team, baring in mind the success of our academy sides in recent times and some of the quality involved. 

 

But no, let's continue to sign dead-wood like Falcao & co.

Edited December 28, 201510 yr by Nibs

Jose was not prepared to take any risks, playing youth is inherently risky.

 

 

You need to take risk with Youth something we havent done imagine if Kane or any of the tottenham young players were at Chelsea Or Stones and Barkley they would have no chance 

 

But now with Hiddink it's all about youth. Oh, wait, so far he gave even less chance to them. Well at least we have the youth players integrated into the team by managers before José, right? There's... uhm... and there's also... yeah...

If they can't get a chance in this car-crash of a season, don't when any of them will ever get a chance, tbh.

RLC

Kennedy

Traore

(Baba)

Have to get some meaningful game time from now till the end of the season.

Only reason Kane got his chance at Spurs was because Adebeyour and Soldado were their senior strikers, its was a perfect storm that he got his chance.

Clubs like Everton can afford to chance youth more often because the risk/reward is different.

But surely theres a middle ground between often and never? I dont think anybody wants to see 4 or 5 youth players in the first eleven, but giving ONE youth players ten starts over a season surely wont ruin a season.

Im sure Im not the only one who stated that firing your manager is the best way to ensure youth dont come through.

But surely theres a middle ground between often and never? I dont think anybody wants to see 4 or 5 youth players in the first eleven, but giving ONE youth players ten starts over a season surely wont ruin a season.

At a club like ours youth players get those chances through managerial stability when instant success isn't so heavily in demand.

We were getting there with Jose with RLC, Zouma, Kenedy and Traore all regularly involved in the match day squads, a level of youth involvement I don't think we have seen since Roman came in.

But the remit we give to our ever changing managers is geared towards success in the current season with little thought given to the upcoming seasons.

Why else would we have given strikers 12 month deals for three consecutive (Eto'o, Drogba and Falcao) seasons when we have had Lukaku, Bamford and Solanke on the books during that period?

Manchester City are the same as us now, youth development is now an after thought with the finished product being preferred.

At a club like ours youth players get those chances through managerial stability when instant success isn't so heavily in demand.

We were getting there with Jose with RLC, Zouma, Kenedy and Traore all regularly involved in the match day squads, a level of youth involvement I don't think we have seen since Roman came in.

But the remit we give to our ever changing managers is geared towards success in the current season with little thought given to the upcoming seasons.

Why else would we have given strikers 12 month deals for three consecutive (Eto'o, Drogba and Falcao) seasons when we have had Lukaku, Bamford and Solanke on the books during that period?

Manchester City are the same as us now, youth development is now an after thought with the finished product being preferred.

 

Sorry FC but that's not my definition of getting there. Having youngsters sitting on the bench but hardly ever getting on must be just as frustrating for them as not being involved at all, especially when the first 11 were performing as woefully as they were. Mourinho was never going to gamble with youth, no matter how dire things got - he just didn't have it in him and went back on his word.

 

You are right, everything is still geared to success NOW, so until our club and whoever our next coach is can move away from the short-term philosophy I see little reason for optimism for any of our academy prosepects, which is what continues to frustrate me more than anything with CFC. 

RLC made 5 appearances for us when Jose was in change during this season.

Who was the last academy player to make that many senior team appearances let alone in under half a season?

It was a pretty big shift in mindset by Chelsea, let alone Mourinho and I think Jose was going to do his best to develop RLC, I honestly believe that.

There was the beginnings of a cultural shift at the club led by one of the best in the business but once again we as a club failed to follow through with our intentions.

RLC made 5 appearances for us when Jose was in change during this season.

Who was the last academy player to make that many senior team appearances let alone in under half a season?

It was a pretty big shift in mindset by Chelsea, let alone Mourinho and I think Jose was going to do his best to develop RLC, I honestly believe that.

There was the beginnings of a cultural shift at the club led by one of the best in the business but once again we as a club failed to follow through with our intentions.

 

McEachran was making appearances under Carlo, before he was sacked.

McEachran was making appearances under Carlo, before he was sacked.

So we've had to go back five years for the last youth player to be given a similar chance that RLC is/was getting.

So I stand by my point, Jose was being progressive but I feel like the expectations/demands are setting the bar too high.

Didn't even need to go that far back, Ake under Rafa was getting enough game time. Played a few games with Jose too if memory serves me right but not as much. 

Edited December 29, 201510 yr by Remodez

I've given up on wanting any player from our acedemy or the loan army to step up and be a first team regular.

If take ake for instance. We signed a player the same age for £15m rather than give ake a shot, and tbh I don't think there is much between baba and ake, i'd definitely say ake is more of a leader and better defensively, and he is homegrown.

Ake has been training with the 1st team for 3 years, and if he can't be deemed good enough to start a few games for us at left back, what chance does anybody else get?

We use our youngsters to make money so we can buy other youngsters that are further on in their development.

You could even look at the signing of kenedy, when we already have traore, boga, and musonda.

In all likelihood rlc we go on loan next season, and we will sign anot her centre midfielder around the same age for 20 odd mill.

It doesn't really bother me anymore, because that is just how we operate, rightly or wrongly.

RLC made 5 appearances for us when Jose was in change during this season.

Who was the last academy player to make that many senior team appearances let alone in under half a season?

It was a pretty big shift in mindset by Chelsea, let alone Mourinho and I think Jose was going to do his best to develop RLC, I honestly believe that.

There was the beginnings of a cultural shift at the club led by one of the best in the business but once again we as a club failed to follow through with our intentions.

good on ya  but I dont. He was under no obligation when he made the 'i'm gonna give reuben four or five games' line. Maybe he was hoping that they would rediscover their form and put him on when we were three or four goals ahead. Then he could say that hes giving him game time. I think a good majority of our fans want to see what these boys are like when it matters.