Life over the last twelve months has been a world away from ‘normal’ for everyone but, for 15- and 16-year-old academy footballers, things turning upside down at a crucial time in their lives is undoubtedly an unwelcome stress and a challenge the likes of which they will scarcely have faced before. They experienced a two-month absence in their football games programme during a school year where much of their work…
…But We’ve Got Livramento
‘We don’t need Hakimi, we have Livramento!” If you know, you know. And, even if you don’t, you probably still know. Where there are potential new first-team signings, there are talented prospects with pathways to consider, and this summer has been no different as Chelsea’s pursuit of Inter wing-back Achraf Hakimi has cast doubt on the immediate route into Thomas Tuchel’s squad for Valentino Livramento, the current Chelsea Academy Player…
The Cobham Chronicles: Gael Kakuta
“Go see the French lad, he’s the star.” If Michael Ballack was having a little fun with reporters back in 2007, it certainly didn’t feel like it. Brendan Rodgers’ Reserves had just lost to Birmingham City at Brentford’s Griffin Park despite fielding six future senior internationals alongside the former Germany captain, who was on the comeback trail after injury, but Gael Kakuta was already well on his way to becoming…
Jam Tomorrow
“The rule is, jam to-morrow and jam yesterday – but never jam to-day.” “It must come sometimes to ‘jam to-day’,” Alice objected. “No, it can’t,” said the Queen. “It’s jam every other day: to-day isn’t any other day, you know.” “I don’t understand you,” said Alice. “It’s dreadfully confusing!” Silly season is upon us and, by that, I mean the time of year when people grow sillier in the face…
The Loan Report: Season Review
The final Loan Report of the season takes a wider look at the Class of 2020-21 and what might come next for each of them. Youngsters Trending Upwards A bunch of talented youngsters did their cases the world of good this season and primed themselves to take further steps forward in 2020-21. Conor Gallagher was a regular in West Brom’s midfield for almost the entire campaign and, despite the Baggies’…
Reflections On The 2020-21 Academy Season
The most tumultuous, unpredictable and challenging season of (many of) our lifetimes has drawn to a close at academy level, and it almost goes without saying that navigating life in general during a global pandemic has been far from easy but running a youth development programme during that time has come with specific challenges that have tested the resolve of staff, players, families and friends more than ever before. When…
The Loan Report: April
April’s Loan Report takes a look at some of the players Chelsea might be looking to move on this summer in an effort to trim some of the excess fat around the first-team squad. It’s an endeavour that has never quite proved to be as easy as idle speculation on social media would have you believe, and it serves to highlight the work ahead for Marina Granovskaia and her team…
The Loan Report: March
March has been a generally quiet month on the loan front and, with the international break in full swing, we’ll take this opportunity to give a quick one-liner on every single loanee currently out and about as we gear up for the last part of the club season. Ethan Ampadu Chris Wilder is out as manager at Sheffield United and Ampadu’s attention will turn towards his next move once the…
Watch Chelsea Under-18s Live vs Tottenham Hotspur This Saturday!
This Saturday (6th March), Chelsea’s Under-18s welcome Tottenham Hotspur to Cobham for an Under-18 Premier League match you can watch live and exclusive across Chelsea platforms. It’s been some three years since Chelsea last broadcast a league match for this age group and, while they have continued to lead the way in live FA Youth Cup football, it’s a welcome return to a format they showed for much of the…
The Loan Report: February
February’s saying goodbye, March is upon us, and the footballing winter is about to move into early Spring. That means the business end of the 2020-21 campaign is about to begin in earnest, and a host of Chelsea loanees are coming into form just at the right time to give themselves a very interesting summer. Armando Broja: Europe’s best teenage goalscorer Yes, it’s true. 19 year-old Armando Broja has more…