Development Squad: Reflections on the 2016-17 Season

May 19, 2017

Neatly juxtaposed alongside the euphoria and excitement that typically comes with a Chelsea Under-18 season is the reality of the challenge the same players face when they make the step up into Under-23 Development Squad football. The journey isn’t linear and the jump isn’t the same as it is from Under-16 to Under-18 football. They’re now playing against opponents often well into their 20s, occasionally against seasoned pros returning from…

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Under-18s: Reflections on the 2016-17 Season

May 18, 2017

In the immediate aftermath of the Under-18s’ 13-0 drubbing of Brighton in February – their win in more than 50 years – Jody Morris remarked, ‘imagine if we’d have had our shooting boots on today’, without a hint of sarcasm. In setting the highest of standards for his youngsters, the academy product from West London who made the same journey his young charges are now embarking upon – all the…

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The Loan Report: May 8-14

May 14, 2017

For a while this week it appeared that a diminished Chelsea Loan Army might finally see their streak of scoring in every full week of the 2016-17 club season come to an end. Then Lewis Baker netted with his final touch in a Vitesse shirt to score the 126th goal of a mammoth campaign by the loan group, setting a new club record in the process. Headliners Vitesse finished the…

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Chelsea’s Record-Breaking Under-18s

May 13, 2017

What a year it’s been for Chelsea’s Under-18s. Jody Morris’ side swept all before them in the 38 year-old’s first season in full charge of the youth team after stepping up from Assistant Manager last summer, and they did so in record-setting style. Previous markers were sent crashing and modern-era bests were established as the Premier League Southern section and National titles were added to yet another FA Youth Cup…

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Under-18s: Chelsea 3-0 Reading

May 12, 2017

It was truly an historic Friday. League titles were secured by Chelsea at all levels, with Antonio Conte’s first team following in the remarkable footsteps of Jody Morris’ Under-18s, who completed the third and final leg of an unprecedented treble as they beat Reading 3-0 at Cobham to add the Under-18 Premier League crown to their Southern section and FA Youth Cup triumphs. For Michy Batshuayi, see Conor Gallagher, Harvey…

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Under-18s: Chelsea 3-1 Arsenal

May 9, 2017

Friday promises to be quite a day for Chelsea Football Club. The first team can clinch the Premier League title with a win at West Brom and, if they do, it could cap a stunning double haul, as Jody Morris’ Under-18s will host Reading at Cobham two hours earlier looking for the win that will see them win their own league. A battling 3-1 win over Arsenal on Tuesday morning…

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The Loan Report: May 1-7

May 7, 2017

Bertrand Traore stole the show this week with a pair of goals in a European Semi Final to take us up to 124 overall for the season, just one shy of equalling the club record set in 2013-14, and then late on Sunday evening Mario Pašalić netted a consolation for Milan against Roma to tie things up at 125 apiece. Headliners Ajax’s Europa League last four clash against Lyon promised…

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Development Squad: Derby County 2-1 Chelsea

May 5, 2017

A defeat to sign off a generally productive and positive league season wasn’t in the script for Chelsea’s Development Squad, but a step back to take a look at the bigger picture will reveal that losing 2-1 away to Derby County will be a mere footnote for a group with remarkable promise that has come along leaps and bounds since kicking things off back in August. The Rams had more…

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