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David Luiz is undeniably a cult hero around Stamford Bridge. His flair-filled performances have won many admirers, who leap to defend him in the face of what is often unwarranted criticism in the media. Sure, he’s a little unconventional and has made mistakes, but equally, he’s put in some very good performances, none of which get the credit they’ve deserved. However, over the last few matches, there’s been a noticeable…
Chelsea have announced this morning that they have signed a three-year deal to enter the NextGen Series from next season. After the relative success of the inaugural campaign, the Blues have agreed to join a competition they were involved in trialling during the 2010-11 season when they played both Bayern Munich and Celtic in friendly matches. The NextGen Series is an Under-19 competition featuring some of Europe’s most prestigious names…
For the better part of the last decade, Chelsea have earned a reputation as a club which does not give youth a fair chance at senior level. Whatever the merits of that argument, it typically leads to the suggestion that players of sufficient quality are not being produced. Again, that much can be debated, but what is certain is that an ever-growing number of Blues academy products are making an…
It was a week like many others this season the loan front as the usual movers and shakers developing away from Stamford Bridge continued in the same vein as they have for many recent weeks and months. Thibaut Courtois typically headlines the group, with the 19 year-old Belgian goalkeeper arguably the most competent and first-team ready of all Blues youngsters on loan this season. He added two more wins to…
Chelsea warmed up for Friday’s FA Youth Cup Semi Final clash against Manchester United with a 3-0 win over Reading on Saturday morning. Goals from Amin Affane, Lewis Baker and Alex Kiwomya secured the win in a match which was barely a contest after a first half red card for visiting goalkeeper Dean Santangelo. He received his marching orders for pulling Islam Feruz back after the striker had closed down…
I hope nobody ever doubts my loyalty to the club I have followed since the late 1950s when I was taken as a young boy to watch my team, Chelsea FC, play. In those days I stood on a grass terrace where the West Stand is now. So when I criticise some aspects of the modern day club do not take that as the sulkiness of a new fan. Nothing…
Chelsea have this week been linked with a pair of teenagers from Italy and Spain respectively, with deals to secure the signature of both said to be close. On Monday, Italian website TuttoB.com – the Serie B-specific arm of well-known transfer speculation outlet TuttoMercatoWeb – noted that the Blues have moved to sign Pescara goalkeeper Luca Savelloni for some €2m. On Wednesday, meanwhile, ElCentroCampista.com via Spanish website Informacion.es reported that…
One of Chelsea’s poorest performances at reserve team level in 2011-12 saw the Blues fall to a 2-0 home defeat at the hands of Arsenal on Monday lunchtime. A team featuring just two of the eleven which beat Fulham last time out failed to impose themselves on a more experienced Arsenal eleven and goals in either half from Chuks Aneke and Hector Bellerín secured three points for Neil Banfield’s Gunners….
Shortly before Christmas, off the back of a poor run but following qualification for the last 16 of the CL, this column wondered if the season could turn out to be something special (see Special Ones Too). And it certainly has, but not in a good way. A slew of defeats, players who don’t seem to be bothered about putting in a shift but are only too happy to collect…
Gael Kakuta has been front and centre in The Loan Report for much of 2012 and the young Frenchman continued his fine spell at Dijon this week with another goal. Kakuta’s fourth strike of his brief stay in Burgundy had threatened to cause a major upset as the hosts led table-topping Montpellier, but a late equaliser deprived Patrice Carteron’s side of all three points. The game offered little to write…