Youth & Reserves

For a number of years, there have been more than a few murmurings of discontent with the Premier League’s reserve structure, with the highest profile managers in the country speaking out against it. After a number of teams withdrew from participation in the league over the last twelve months, the Premier League has acted upon change, with effect from the 2010/11 season. The previous North/South split, of a simple home…

Dario Gradi announced Monday that Crewe Alexandra were taking a Chelsea reserve team goalkeeper on loan over the summer with the view to an extended loan move. That player turned out to be Welsh Under-21 stopper Rhys Taylor, and as he prepares to join the Railwaymen for pre-season, he kicks off what is sure to be another busy campaign of temporary moves. Last season saw nineteen different players involved in…

It had been expected, but it still came as a disappointment when it was confirmed. Miroslav Stoch confirmed on his official website this afternoon that he has agreed a four-year deal with Turkish giants Fenerbahçe and will join the club after the World Cup. The Turkish league runners-up had announced the contract news earlier in the day. The news is a particularly bitter pill to swallow for followers of the…

Suddenly, Chelsea’s first team squad is a whole lot lighter as Wednesday saw the confirmed departure of Joe Cole, Juliano Belletti, and Michael Ballack. With the club’s apparent new policy of both getting tough on wages and reducing the average age of the side well and truly underway, we’re very much interested in the second part. It opens up three first-team squad berths, and with both Deco and Paulo Ferreira…