Romelu Lukaku has today finally completed his transfer from Anderlecht, and according to reports will available to play in Saturday’s game against West Brom As rumoured on Twitter our new striker will wear the number 18 shirt vacated by the departure of Yuri Zhirkov. A Chelsea supporter, he also visited Stamford Bridge on a school trip two years ago, and explains just how excited he is to sign for Chelsea and pull…
Doncaster Move For Lalkovic
Chelsea’s young Slovakian forward Milan Lalkovic is reportedly close to joining Championship side Doncaster Rovers on an initial month’s loan, a move which would mark his first foray into professional football. Lalkovic, 18, is set to go straight into Rovers’ squad for their weekend trip to table-topping Derby County and will be expected to feature at least as a substitute. The Under-21 winger has been drafted in with something of…
Diplomatic Immunity: West Brom
An occasional series of open discussions with opposition fans. They can say what they like about Chelsea and I promise not to be rude back to them. Number 1: Blagging With A Baggie. When did you start supporting West Brom? I went with my friend Tom and his Dad, soon before the advent of printing. No, it was 1966, before we won the World Cup. Lots of legs and noise…
Youth Team Season Preview: Part Two – Other Opponents
In today’s second part of our academy season preview, we take a look at the ten other teams Chelsea will face in 2011-12. The 28-game fixture list comprises 18 matches against the nine other teams in Group A, and ten fixtures against other academies in what are termed as ‘long-distance’ fixtures. Five of these are played at Cobham, and five of them will be played away from home. They tend…
Youth Team Season Preview: Part One – Breaking Down Group A
It’s baaaack. Okay, it might ‘only’ be academy football, but for some (read: yours truly), the start of the FA Premier Academy Season is as exciting as the big kickoff at the top levels. Another eight months of action is ready and waiting to unfold on Saturday mornings as the stars of tomorrow take the next steps in their fledgling careers. Chelsea’s Under-18 team has a new manager in Adrian…
A Brief Youth, Reserve and Loan Round-Up
In the past week or two, there has been plenty of action in the lower ranks at Chelsea, but little of it has been ‘big’ enough to constitute a full-blown report. Thankfully this is where a round-up comes into its own, so let’s take a look back at all the bits and bobs that have taken place of late. As you’ll already be aware, the Reserve team kicked off their…
Reserves: Chelsea 3-2 Sunderland
Chelsea began the defence of their Barclays Premier Reserve League title on Monday afternoon with a 3-2 victory over a talented Sunderland outfit. First half goals from Adam Phillip and Patrick van Aanholt cancelled out Oumare Tounkara’s opener before Milan Lalkovic clinched the win thirteen minutes from time after Roarie Deacon had levelled with his first touch. Dermot Drummy, coaching his first competitive match at this level, was able to…
Everything But The Goal
The start of a season that heralded a new beginning, and a break from the old, turned out initially to be much the same as last season. A familiar line up read; Cech, Bosingwa, Alex, Terry, Cole; Ramires, Mikel, Lampard; Kalou, Torres, Malouda – eight of whom started the final match of last season, with Kalou making a substitute appearance in that match too. Yet to focus only on the…
Reserves Ready For Title Defence
Chelsea begin their defence of their Reserve League title this Monday at home to Sunderland as another campaign which promised much change kicks off with the status quo having been maintained. Once again, four of the twenty Premier League sides have opted not to participate in this year’s league structure, whilst a small group of others may find themselves distracted by involvement in the Next Generation League, a European Under-19…
All About The Attitude
at·ti·tude [at-i-tood, -tyood] Noun 1. A settled way of thinking or feeling, typically reflected in a person’s behaviour. (Dictionary.com) Like most people I was very disappointed to learn of Pastore signing for PSG. I had thought – I still think – he is the type of quality playmaker that would benefit the squad. Going to PSG (the Man City of French football, as Arsene Wenger apparently described them) to most observers is…