Here we go again then. Another season of loan news gets underway here at TheChels.net, and with over a dozen faces already having departed, there will be no shortage of news each and every week. Some of Chelsea’s youngsters have returned to familiar climbs after impressive spells in 2011-12, whilst others have new homes or are embarking upon a much-needed move after a frustrating campaign last time out. That brings…
Under-18s: Chelsea 6-1 Manchester City
There may have been no goals in last night’s Under-21 clash between Chelsea and Manchester City, but their respective Under-18s served up plenty on Saturday morning. The Blues ran out 6-1 winners in emphatic style, with six different players finding the back of the net. Reece Mitchell, Jordan Houghton, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Jeremie Boga, Charlie Colkett and Fankaty Dabo all got themselves in on the act on a wonderful morning for…
Premier League Predictions & Travel Tips
Ah, glorious August, when football fans up and down the country are filled with what usually turns out to be misplaced optimism about the fate of their teams over the coming nine months. And speaking of misplaced optimism, TheChels.Net has asked their resident Old Crone to look into her crystal ball and see what might lie ahead. Please note that these predictions may contain a hefty dose of bias and/or…
Under-21s: Chelsea 0-0 Manchester City
A new era in English youth football began on Friday night without a goal on the pitch but with many more ahead of them on and off the field. Chelsea and Manchester City both drew blanks in the seaaon’s first Under-21 fixture, with the new competition throwing up a marquee clash on opening night. It was a match high on quality throughout and one which promises much for the season…
Under-21 & Youth Team Season Preview – Part Four: The Blues
Having previewed Chelsea’s opponents in Under-18 and Under-21 competition ahead of the coming season, and taken a look at those competitions themselves in some depth, all that remains is to preview the Blues themselves ahead of 2012-13. Nearly twenty new first-year scholars and promoted schoolboys join a group of players which has won both the Reserve League and FA Youth Cup crowns in recent years and bring additional quality and…
Anderlecht’s Kouyaté Linked With Chelsea
At what point does it become silly? Another day, another Belgian(ish) played linked with Chelsea. The latest news comes from DH, who suggest that Blues scout Tony White (who does a lot of work in France and the Benelux region) is looking to finalise a deal for Senegalese defender Cheikhou Kouyaté. The 22 year-old, who wore the number 8 for his country at the London 2012 Olympic Games, would not…
Under-21 & Youth Team Season Preview – Part Three: The Opposition
In previous seasons of the youth and reserve team previews, we’ve looked extensively at Chelsea’s youth team opponents in Academy Group A and beyond, and less so at those playing at the next level up. However, with the same six teams on the agenda for both the Under-18s and Under-21s, it makes sense to embark upon a new structure and take a look at the key faces and ones to…
Being a Fan
There is a moment when you realise that you are a fan of something. Sometimes it’s a creeping gradualisation of feeling. Sometimes it can be triggered by a single event or personality. That match you saw on the TV when you were little. Or that player who had a profound influence on you. I started supporting Chelsea when I was 17, and it was mainly because of Pat Nevin. I…
Under-21 & Youth Team Season Preview – Part Two: The Competitions
Everything you used to know has changed. The landscape for 2012-13 as far as youth development competition goes has changed dramatically, and for the better. There is no more Premier Academy League. There is no more Premier Reserve League. Instead, Chelsea’s youngsters will take part in Under-18 and Under-21 competition in the new Professional Development League. In addition to their new domestic schedule, Chelsea will also be taking part in…
Under-21 & Youth Team Season Preview – Part One: Introduction
One of the more contentious and well-discussed subjects of the last year or more in football is the Elite Player Performance Plan. The proposals designed at overhauling youth development in England has certainly been controversial and is not to everyone’s tastes, but as we approach the start of the 2012-13 season, it’s at the forefront of our attentions as radical change is upon us. A new competition structure is in…