ESPN Soccernet - Correspondents - Chelsea- Where are the kids?

Posted by on 05/26/2009

Arsenal have been playing with 'babies' all season - and winning plaudits for the attractive and attacking games they played in the Carling Cup. Manchester United put out practically a whole team of teenagers on Sunday, and still managed to beat a relegation-battling Hull side. Where are our next generation?

With Manchester United lambasted all week because they were potentially going to send out an understrength side, it looked almost like Ferguson might bow to media pressure and name an all-star first XI. In reality it was only Gary Neville, Wes Brown and Darren Fletcher who played (all without a hope of playing on Wednesday), leading a team of talented youngsters. The average age, even with those three old-timers, was just 21. The bench average was 19.

Why didn't Chelsea do something similar? We had nothing to play for, and only Sunderland to beat. We have an extra few days to rest up, but surely it was a time to get the kids out on the pitch and see what they can do. Perhaps this wasn't done because Guus wouldn't see the benefits - he's leaving after next week, so what would the point be in testing the youngsters?

Our side for the last day was Cech; Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry, Ashley Cole; Essien (Kalou 65), Mikel (Mancienne 78), Belletti (Ballack 27), Malouda; Drogba, Anelka. In short, our strongest team. Mancienne is young (though still 21) as is Jon Obi Mikel, but otherwise they are a team that are hitting their peak, or just past it. We need new youngsters to come through and mix things up a bit.

Amongst those left on our bench there were a few more youngsters in Di Santo, Sinclair and Stoch, but none of these have been given a chance, and they probably won't be given one next season either.

What happened to Tom Taiwo? How about Jack Cork? Ryan Bertrand could have played? The few youngsters with up-and-coming reputations were let down on Sunday, and deserved a chance to impress.

The worrying thing is that we have so few youth players who seem capable of making the grade - even though its one of Franck Arnesen's only tasks to get good youngsters to the club. We need to take a few more leaves out of Arsenal and Man United's book - buy good talent early, and then give them a chance. Its the only way forwards as far as I can see.

Comments

Posted by ifeanyi nature on 05/26/2009

I think i totally agree with u some of the younger players should be given some chance to play in the club they are being paid.when playing like two ro three zero up we should bring inn some of the young players to expose them to confidence. and our keeper Peter Cech is always on post does it mean we dont have a second keeper other keeper should be given a chance to keep at FA cup or carling cup. my qeustion are, if they are bad that they can't play then what are they doing in the club?

Posted by Evans Dan-Ogbaran on 05/26/2009

It is really funny when i hear fans and commentators saying Malouda has picked form. Where was he all these while, oh its time for new contract and suddenly he has picked form? Ha ha ah! He should be sold, he was the weakest link for us all season. Kalou would have done more if he had the chances Malouda had. Besides, We need strikers who are goal hungry, Drogba has lost that instinct, Obafemi isnt a bad Choice. He is fast,has speed, uses both feet, gives his all when he plays-he is hungry, and, his club just went down. We don't need players like Malouda in Chesea.

Posted by Somic on 05/26/2009

I certainly agree with you. But our problem is we kept changing managers, thus they are more worried about winning games in the present and saving their asses, no long term planning will ever be achieved.

Posted by Mickey on 05/27/2009

Reason 1: any Chelsea player rested on Sunday would go 2 weeks without a game. At this stage of the season they aren't training that much anyway and that they all have 6 days to recover. So our first team players were better off playing and not resting.

Reason 2: The best of the kids aren't good enough. Di Santo and Stoch haven't been on the bench recently because they deserve it and are breaking into the first team. They have been there because we don't have enough players to fill the bench given one or two injuries or rotational rests.

The only exception to all this is our 5th choice CB, RB & DM - Mancienne. Probably good enough, but it just goes to show how the first team squad is so dreadfully unbalanced.

Posted by David on 05/27/2009

Hey,you are right about what you said ;"WHERE ARE THE KIDS" I am a chelsea fan all my life but to think of it,we got no replacement kids and i want you guys to think over this ..Try to get we fans some kids for replacement .Thanks

David

Posted by raghav on 05/28/2009

youth development would happen only when we have a stable manager. Stop gap managers would only be bothered about winning 'now'.
btw, the best talent coming up are kakuta and stoch. I have a feeling we will get rid of Sahar and sinclair even without giving them a proper chance.
Unless the new regime can bring a youngster up from the academy, I doubt many talented youngsters would want to come to Cobham and ruin their careers in the sidelines ! *sad but true*

Posted by Syed on 05/28/2009

Yes you're right. Now Chelsea is left behind in term of playing with young players. We need to try play our youngsters in the highest level. With Ballack, Drogba, Lampard, Carvalho, Deco all has achieve 30 we should try to mix young and old together. There are many young players that we can look forward. Sergio Aguero, Mario Balotelli, Karim Benzema. Hope Chelsea will strengthen their squap with more young and talented players during this summer

Posted by Neal on 05/28/2009

I completely agree, I watched Di Santo make good runs and goals in the preseason in the summer of 2008, and was fully expecting him to play at least a few matches come the PL season. I only saw Stoch play maybe twice, Mancienne 3 or 4 times, and Di Santo might as well had his name engraved on the subs bench at the Bridge. Give the kids a chance, they're the next generation of Stamford Bridge heroes.

Posted by alex25 on 05/28/2009

I agree with what you are saying about our need for more quality in young players and i have read articles recently which gives me faith that this weakness in our club will be addressed in the near future. Guus however did explain why he was playing a full strength team (minus lamps.) He believes that there would have been too much time between the last match we played for our stars before the fa cup final had they not played at the stadium of light. It is a fair point as well as the boys are currently on a roll and it wasnt worth disrupting that. Yes it does mean they are slightly more tired than they would otherwise have been but they are professional athletes and im sure they can manage. Besides Everton had to play their full strength team in their match so it isnt like we are giving them an advantage.
I predict a tight match at wembley. 1-1 after full time with lamps getting his 20th goal of the season (again) and anelka to get the winner in extra time.

Posted by Mike on 05/29/2009

Look what happened to Man U. They rested up and lost 2-0 to Barca. Chelsea held Barca 0-0 and 1-1 and lost due to a stupid rule. Chelsea needs to play its starters to keep them active and on the pitch form.

Taking a break to rest players can be good and can be bad. I wouldn't have played some guys full time but all and all we ended with 3rd place in the Prem. Soon we will hopefully win the FA cup come sunday.

Mike from Florida (USA)

Posted by Adrenalin on 05/29/2009

I see reason in this piece. Chelsea of a truth is fond of parading same sets of attackers, midfielders, strikers and keeper, thereby leaving the young talents as spectators. This has been so with virtually all the managers that have been in charge of Chelsea's squad for the past 5 to 6 seasons. Chelsea, please give the youth a chance and learn from Arsenal and Manchester United!

Posted by David M on 05/29/2009

As a Chelsea fan, I can't but not agree. I was fully expecting a 2nd string side against Sunderland to see what the youngters can do, instead we got the same 11 minus Lamps and Alex. What for? We have a cup final, you dont want to risk injuries or fatigue in a match that meant absolutely nothing to Chelsea. It just baffles me!

Posted by Stuart on 05/29/2009

I disagree, these young players are still playing and training each week, your first eleven is just that, the best eleven players you have. What is the point of buying, multi million pound players, paying them 50k a week and then letting some kids go out to represent the club. It is fine if it works but the fans would hang the manager if it didn't, and so would the board. Everyone admires the kids at Arsenal.....what have they won though? Is that what you want for Chelsea?

Posted by t,t on 05/29/2009

Young players are good, but they can,t destroy experinced team with lamp, drogb, ballk. those guys are good. if nidyoung players ,they will embraceusossing 6-0 , see what is happing at madrid and asernal. atleast our team in our team even if we lose we loss by less margin. true chelsea fan.

Posted by irokotola on 05/29/2009

hey no replacement,but please let try our new coahc and wait to see what the expected person have 4 us.chelsea 4 life.

Posted by ed on 05/29/2009

The post by Somic is dead on. The lack of continuity at manager is the biggest problem at Chelsea, not age or lack there of. The longest tenure so far under Abramovich has been Mourinho, so it should come as no surprise that his players remain the backbone. In England everyone admires the way Arsenal and Man U nurture young talent... it should also come as no surprise that both clubs have stability at manager. Barcelona have their famed academy to pull from... heck even West Ham can pull from theirs'! Until we have a manager that can last more than a season, we will have to continue buying...

Posted by ish on 05/30/2009

stoch, di santo, cork, bertrand and sinclair all train with the first team. If hiddink believes they are not good enough why would he start them?
Chelsea also hasnt had the luxury of a permanent manager for a long time, if they had more kids would get game time as the manager would be more willing to take risks.
Chelsea's first team are as you have said at their peak and going very strong, they want to play games and im guessing anelka or drogba are much higher up the totem pole then di santo is.
Arsenal have become a club on the brink and it wasnt the kids they relied on to get them out of the fix it was the 27 year old arsharvin and 25 year old van persie.
Kids are good to blood but most(99%) dont have the ability to get into first team till maybe 21/22.
Look at barce, xavi and iniesta got given a game here a game their till early 20s when they finally broke into the first team, they didnt just start playing first team at 18. Not every1 is messi or fabregas.

Posted by Chelsea owns on 05/31/2009

Chelsea so much money with Roman around. Just buy new players, dont care about youths... who needs young wimps anyway...

Posted by navin k on 05/31/2009

I am a Man Utd fan and I am very happy that Chelsea has won the FA Cup. They well deserve to win a trophy this season.I am very sad that Man Utd lost against Barcelone, but how close Chelsea were to pull out this team in the semi final. I like to watch English Football, that is why I still have some regret about chelsea elimination against Barcelone where this team has not been able to beat Chelsea in two legs.

May be next year we English Football will be on the top of Europe again.

See you all for next season.

Posted by nene rufai on 10/03/2009

chelsea is a strong team keep it up, dont give a down, but people do sey chelsea is a rough team i dont care as far as they can get want they we need (CUP). thank

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