Youth & Reserves

Gael Kakuta has been angling for a move away from Stamford Bridge all summer. The recently-turned 21 year-old playmaker finished last season on loan at Dijon in the French league and spoke of his desire to have a concrete future going into the 2012-13 season. He spent pre-season with the Chelsea first team but with a number of high-profile attacking players signed by Roberto Di Matteo, it’s obvious that he…

Chelsea’s debut in the NextGenSeries didn’t quite go according to plan as although they dominated large parts of their Group C opener against CSKA Moscow, they went down by the odd goal in three. Patrick Bamford’s early goal had promised much but after a quickfire double salvo from the visitors, the young Blues faced a hard task to get themselves back into the game, and despite recording a number of…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…