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…
The Loan Report: October
33 players, 33 comments. October’s Loan Report features a bumper crop of Chelsea loanees, driven by a pandemic-influenced transfer market in which any plans for trimming the fat around the edges of this particular arm of development strategy have been put well and truly on hold until calmer waters can be found. With plenty to catch up on, let’s get stuck in. Ethan Ampadu, Sheffield United Had to bide his…
The Loan Report: September
September has seen the 2020-21 season get in to full swing across Europe and with it has come the expansion of the latest Loan Army. Almost three dozen Chelsea players are out on loan now and, with the domestic transfer window in England for Football League clubs still open until mid-October, it’s set to grow further still. Uwakwe finds early success Every player wants to make an instant impression when…
Development Squad: Oxford United 2-1 Chelsea
Six months has rarely felt so long. 190 days after Chelsea beat Everton in PL2 action, competitive academy football returned with the Development Squad’s opening EFL Trophy fixture away to Oxford. Andy Myers’ boys suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat, and will be frustrated with the result on the balance of play, but pleased to be back playing. It was a new-look Development Squad too, with 17 year-olds Levi Colwill, Lewis…