It didn’t last as long as anyone wanted, but the Frank Lampard era at Chelsea came to an abrupt end on Monday, throwing the immediate future of the club at all levels into a brand-new era of uncertainty. As Thomas Tuchel prepares to enter the fray, we’re forced to take a step back and ask what it means for everyone, but particularly the academy, which has faced often insurmountable challenges…
It’s been a month since Chelsea last played an academy fixture; their 6-1 thumping of Manchester United meant the Development Squad signed off a successful 2020 top of the Premier League 2 table in defence of the title they won after an unbeaten, pandemic-shortened 2019-20 campaign. They were due back last week, as were the Under-18s after a month off themselves, only for the first fixtures of the new calendar…
It’s been a strange year to say the least, but another fascinating one for Chelsea’s academy, and one not without success. It started in relatively unassuming fashion, at least given what was to come, with a pair of promising wins for the Development Squad, who were unbeaten in the league at the turn of the year into 2020, and challenging for the PL2 title. The Under-18s were in similarly good…
The last Loan Report of 2020 drops mere days before the January transfer window opens. With 31 players already out on loan and a talented Development Squad bursting at the seams with players ready to test their mettle at the next level, it could be a busy month at Chelsea. Let’s have a look at who could be on the move. Conor Gallagher On the face of things, Conor is…
The November edition of the Loan Report focuses on the players out there right now who are positioning themselves best to break into Chelsea’s first team squad next season. The 2021-22 campaign might be a long way off just now but, make no mistake, plans are already being made for what comes next. Conor Gallagher Chief among the most exciting options right now is Conor Gallagher, who has taken to…
The FA Youth Cup tends to bring out the best in Chelsea, even in the early rounds, and in beating Barnsley 8-1 to get their 2020-21 campaign under way on Saturday, the Blues once again laid out their plans to challenge for honours this season. Jude Soonsup-Bell led the way with four goals; a first-half hat-trick added to with an audacious backheeled effort later in the game, while the relentless…
Saturday (November 28th) sees the return of the FA Youth Cup for Chelsea as they enter the 2020-21 edition at the Third Round stage. Here’s everything you need to know for this season. Chelsea are quite good in the Youth Cup, right? You could say that. Their nine competition wins place them second all-time behind Manchester United and they dominated much of the last decade, reaching nine finals since 2010…
You can’t win them all. Chelsea and Manchester City have dominated the FA Youth Cup scene for the last decade – this was the Blues’ eighth final in the last nine seasons – but while the former have enjoyed six wins in that time, City have suffered defeat four times on the grand stage; three of those against Chelsea. They finally got their measure of revenge on Monday night in…
The more things change, the more they stay the same. For the fourth time in six seasons, Chelsea and Manchester City will contest the FA Youth Cup Final, and in the two campaigns they didn’t square off in the showpiece occasion in 2018 and 2019, each racked up an additional Final appearance. You have to go back to 2011 to find the last time one of them didn’t reach the…
In a year where everything we know has been turned upside down and nothing is what it seems any more, football can bring a soothing familiarity to settle you back down. For the eighth time in ten seasons, Chelsea have reached the FA Youth Cup Final, and set up a fourth clash with Manchester City since 2015 after beating their neighbours Manchester United 1-0 at St George’s Park on Friday…