The past week had no goals, but there’s still plenty to catch up on from the Loan Army, so let’s get started. England Premier League Danny Drinkwater made his long-awaited(?) Burnley debut in the Clarets’ midweek defeat at home to Manchester City. It was his first senior competitive league start since March 2018, and just his second in any competition, so when manager Sean Dyche explained his absence at the…
It was a successful Saturday on the academy front as the Development Squad and Under-18s each secured results that put them top of the table approaching the winter break. Ed Brand’s youth team got things started in style with an 8-0 win away to bottom-of-the-table Swansea City in South Wales, extending their season-long unbeaten run, and leapfrogging Fulham to go top outright and on their own for the first time…
Izzy Brown, Mario Pašalić and Jake Clarke-Salter added to the steady flow of Loan Army goals this season, so they’re the Headliners in this week’s edition of the Loan Report. Headliners Pašalić is a well-known commodity now; a versatile attacking midfielder who’s good for a few goals every season and plays at a high enough level to be of interest to Chelsea in the future. After logging ninety minutes for…
To still be unbeaten after four months of the season takes courage, toughness and no little agility. That both Chelsea and Fulham started and finished Saturday without a league defeat to their names in 2019-20 is testament to the character in the respective squads, and the 2-2 final score at Cobham in this latest reprisal of their West London derby was about right on balance. Certainly, both teams will feel…
With the last international break of 2019 firmly in the rear view mirror, the Loan Report is back to check in on Chelsea’s far-flung charges, with Iké Ugbo and Conor Gallagher taking centre stage as they have for most of the season. Headliners Gallagher has been outstanding in his first four months in senior football, starring for Charlton Athletic in England’s second tier, and shining bright when the spotlight is…
Chelsea completed a 100% group stage in the Under-18 Premier League Cup, and qualified for the Quarter Finals, after beating Arsenal 2-1 at Cobham on Saturday. First half goals from Armando Broja and Sam Iling Jr, the latter with his first at this level, proved enough for Ed Brand’s unbeaten boys, despite a late comeback from the visitors that saw Daniel Oyegoke reduce the deficit to no avail. It wasn’t…
When Frank Lampard unveiled his backroom team at Chelsea in July, it wasn’t quite the culmination of a generation’s work at the club’s Cobham academy, but it certainly felt like it. For, as much as a youth development programme is primarily about producing talent on the pitch, the Blues have been especially prolific in helping to bring through the coaching talent of tomorrow as well as the playing. Jody Morris,…
Mario Pašalić announced himself on the Champions League stage this week while Iké Ugbo carried on his prolific form in the Netherlands. Let’s get into the latest Loan Report. Headliners Pašalić’s second season with Atalanta has been a bit of a slow burner in terms of substantial performances; playing regular minutes in the midfield rotation, he’s an entirely reliable and capable option, but has added goals back into his game…
For forty-five minutes of this Under-18 Premier League London derby, Chelsea were untouchable. A relentless blue tide swept everything before it as Tottenham were powerless to resist. A goal up inside a minute, four inside half an hour, and 5-0 by half time; it was as good a team performance as you’ll see anywhere all season, which is why the final score might have left some Chelsea players dejected when…
Every now and then, someone comes along and takes centre stage in the Loan Report without having really made a significant impact earlier in the season. This week, Kenedy does just that, scoring his first goal for Getafe in an otherwise quiet seven days on the Loan Army front. Headliners Kenedy has actually had a fairly good time of it in Spain so far; earning regular Europa League minutes to…