In our final ‘Natters With The Chels’ this season, we had a chat with Interim Chair of the Chelsea Supporters Trust, Tim Rolls, after our final home game of the season against Everton last Sunday. TC: Are you pleased with the generally positive reception that the Chelsea Supporters Trust has had? TR: I am. We’ve only been in existence three or four months. We’ve got over a thousand members, we’ve…
Youth & Under-21 Season Review: Part Four – Best of 2012-13
As we do every year, it’s time to finish the Youth and Under-21 season review with a look back at some of the best moments of the last ten months, as we’ve been thoroughly well entertained by the next generation of Chelsea footballers once again. Youth Team Reaching the finals of the FA Youth Cup and the NextGen Series…Enjoying an eleven game unbeaten run to start the Under-18 league season…Winning…
Loanee Review: Gael Kakuta
To round up the 2012-13 youth football season at Chelsea, we’re reviewing every single one of the Chelsea youngsters currently on the books who have spent time out on loan during the campaign. Here, we focus on Gael Kakuta. Club: Vitesse Arnhem (Netherlands) Appearances: 22 (1 goal) The Story Last season was another step closer to Gael Kakuta fulfilling at least some of his potential, but at the same time…
Youth & Under-21 Season Review: Part Three – Internationals
As usual, it was another busy and hectic campaign on the international front in the Chelsea academy, with a smattering of maiden international calls for players past and present alongside the veritable wealth of youngsters working their way through the respective national youth ranks around the world. Ryan Bertrand, now a highly visible product of the academy (with over 30 appearances this season in all competitions, he’s very much established),…
Loanee Review: Romelu Lukaku
To round up the 2012-13 youth football season at Chelsea, we’re reviewing every single one of the Chelsea youngsters currently on the books who have spent time out on loan during the campaign. Here, we focus on Romelu Lukaku. Club: West Bromwich Albion Appearances: 38 (17 goals) The Story As Chelsea’s sole Premier League loanee, Romelu Lukaku has often taken centre stage this season with Blues fans afforded ample opportunities…
Loanee Review: Sam Hutchinson
To round up the 2012-13 youth football season at Chelsea, we’re reviewing every single one of the Chelsea youngsters currently on the books who have spent time out on loan during the campaign. Here, we focus on Sam Hutchinson. Club: Nottingham Forest Appearances: 9 (1 goal) The Story Just when you think the Sam Hutchinson story can’t get more disappointing, it does. The feel-good tale of 2011-12, Sam’s return from…
Youth & Under-21 Season Review: Part Two – The Under-21s
The Under-21 season at Chelsea can probably be summed up by an off-hand comment a prominent member of the academy coaching staff before a late-season game at Cobham against Everton. “So much for this new Under-21 league eh?” Last August, we were told that a new era of youth development was being ushered in when the Elite Player Performance Plan came into effect. Part of that was a ‘revamped’ Professional…
Loanee Review: Thorgan Hazard
To round up the 2012-13 youth football season at Chelsea, we’re reviewing every single one of the Chelsea youngsters currently on the books who have spent time out on loan during the campaign. Here, we focus on Thorgan Hazard. Club: Zulte-Waregem (Belgium) Appearances: 34 (4 goals) The Story Fresh off the back of big brother Eden arriving in SW6 last summer, Thorgan also made the relatively short hop across the…
Loanee Review: Kevin De Bruyne
To round up the 2012-13 youth football season at Chelsea, we’re reviewing every single one of the Chelsea youngsters currently on the books who have spent time out on loan during the campaign. Here, we focus on Kevin De Bruyne. Club: Werder Bremen (Germany) Appearances: 34 (10 goals) The Story De Bruyne is one of a few Chelsea loanees who many supporters would have loved to see in London this…
Youth & Under-21 Season Review: Part One – The Youth Team
It would be easy to take a despondent view of the youth team’s season, at least if you consider that they reached the Final of both the NextGen Series and the FA Youth Cup only to fall at the final hurdle. Yet it’s precisely because, for the fourth season running, the young Blues have found themselves in marquee occasions playing for prestigious silverware that the outlook remains exceptionally positive. There…