OhForAGreavsie

Butch Wilkins has been bemoaning what he sees as a lack of intensity but I'm really enjoying the game. These are two high quality U18 sides who have produced some excellent, and really interesting, football. We were utterly dominant for the opening 10-15 minutes and we finished the half more strongly but in between City had their moments. For us Jake & Fikayo have been outstanding defensively as well as stepping out with the ball. Fikayo in particular has carried a threat right into City's box from open play. He's been great, as has Trevor Chalobah playing at right back. He's been solid and has made two or three really threatening runs with good deliveries on the end of them. As I type, he has just done it again only this time, Mason Mount has converted to put us one up early in the second half. For City there is no question about who has been their star. Based on what I saw during the EUFA Youth League campaign, the young Spaniard Brahim Diaz is the best development level player in Europe. By a mile. He is an outstanding player who is a cast iron, 100% certainty to make it at the highest level. The kid is truly an exceptional footballer. Well played City for winning his signature.

Do you know when the new La Liga distribution policy comes into effect? That's going to reduce their income somewhat. No matter how big their debts however, their income is simply incredible so I'm guessing that no lender will feel the need to call in their loans. That said, I do not know the first thing about Barca's financial situation so that guess might be complete nonsense.

A motive to agitate for a new contract maybe, a motive even for using the threat of moving on as part of the negotiations, but for actually wanting to move? Players love playing for Barca. They love the adulation, they love the Catalan's passion for their team, they revel in the team's dominance, and they enjoy the style of football. If, like Cesc, a player knows that he isn't good enough to hold a place in the side then maybe, but I'd say that a nailed on starter is highly unlikely to want to leave. Now, Barcelona finding themselves needing to sell is another thing but I don't actually believe that either. There are plenty of other wage bill reductions they'd take before they part with any of their front three.

It may be so and I certainly can't claim to know that it is not, but this sounds pretty far fetched to me. Of course, under the guidance of his agent, Neymar might be quite happy to keep Barca's contract negotiators on their toes with allusions to dissatisfaction, but actually wanting to leave for such a reason? I can't see it. At all.

Game finished 2-0. We were a bit better in the second half but not that much. We did produce moments of quality to carve out some good chances but their keeper pulled off 2 or 3 really good stops. The second goal was also grabbed by Fran Kirby amid claims of handball as a goal line clearance struck her arm and dropped for her to fire into the roof of the net. As the laws stand allowing the goal was the correct decision, there was no intention, but it's a bad law in my opinion and I'm glad The International Board are changing it. Fran may not have been able to get out of the way but the ball did strike her hand. If it hadn't done, the clearance would have sailed out of the box so, intent or no intent, Fran gained a big advantage by unfair means. It should have been a free kick. When a player handles the ball deliberately then, whether she/he gains an advantage or not, a free kick/penalty should always be awarded. Where the contact is unintentional however, then, for me, the decision must come down to whether or not an unfair advantage is gained. An example of what I mean: - Defender near the goal line. The ball smacks him on the arm. He couldn't get out of the way. The decision depends on what would have happened if the ball had not struck his arm. If the ball would have sailed harmlessly out of play, no penalty, play on. If it would have hit his body instead, no penalty, play on. If it would have gone into the net then, albeit that he didn't mean to, the defender has gained a significant advantage by unfair means, penalty but no card. Meanwhile back to Chelsea Ladies; Emma Hayes's post game comments are always honest and accurate and were again tonight. She's a very impressive person. Her players must love her. Emma being our manager is a big advantage for us I think.

The ladies are playing what is a Women's FA Cup Final rehearsal, but also a very significant WSL game in its own right, away at Arsenal. We lead 1-0 at the break, deservedly, but boy has it been a poor game. Both sides are playing badly, loads of mistakes and misplaced passes. It's got to be better in the second half; as Dr. Winston himself might say, "Can't get no worse." Fran Kirby got the goal when she chased a ball over the top and was able to charge down the keeper's attempted clearance. As the ball ricocheted towards goal the Arsenal defender was easily favourite to get there first and I do mean easily. She just couldn't get her stride pattern organised however so the timing was never quite right for her to stretch out her leg and knock the ball away. Meanwhile Fran gained on her and as both players made a desperate, last ditch lunge at the ball, neither of them was able to get a touch and the ball bobbled its merry way into the net. A goal befitting the game I think. Such quality as we have seen has come from Gemma Davidson, especially after she switched wings with Karen Carney and moved to the left. Love this player; one of the best in the woman's game I feel sure.

I fear that you and they are correct. Neither Tammy nor Dom seem potential Chelsea players to me. I have to say however that Tammy is currently showing a great deal more in his hold up play than I have noticed prior to this season. Maybe his level is a bit higher than I once thought it might be but I'd say still below Chelsea's nevertheless.

I agree wholeheartedly with your two main points: - If Thibaut does not want to stay then we should give his agent permission to find a club willing to meet our valuation. After the trauma of the current season the last thing we need is to drag player disaffection into the new season too. We need to root it out, not replant it. There are very many highly competent keepers who can contribute fully to a successful team. Let's face it, at one point last season we had three of them and even now we still have two. Having said that however: - I have never heard the expression that a good goalkeeper is half a team but, in any case, it is absolutely 100 percent not true. As is well argued in the remainder of your post. Shot stopping and commanding the area are at least two goalkeeping attributes not one. I say at least because commanding the area probably needs to be broken down into more than one category. Even if we say that shot stopping and commanding the area are only two attributes, they are far from the only ones required to be a sound goalkeeper. Kicking with both feet, distribution from hand, speed off the line to sweep up, to name just three.

Quality!

Barring the opening few weeks of the season, they were a better footballing side than we were last season as well. There are two explanations for the extraordinary twenty-three point gap. Jose Mourhino

Come on Pizy, that's ridiculous. Give or take the odd lad, the 19s are the same squad as the 18s. On top of that most of them either start for the 21s or feature fairly regularly in U21 fixtures. All three age groups have been heavily involved in league races, domestic cups and on the European stage. Throw in the fact that pretty much all of them feature for their national sides, and the lads have already faced a physically and emotionally draining season. With two legs of the FA Youth Cup final still to come, I think it's simply asking too much of the lads to turn out against Leicester. No, in all fairness we should rest the 19s for that game and play the Under 16s instead. They've got to learn sometime after all. Now, I know what you're thinking; the 16s have had a tough old season as well and they have the stress of school exams coming up soon. Well, I hear you and I share your natural belief that it's really the Under 15 squad that should handle the Leicester fixture. Problem is, that bunch of spoil sports at the FA have some rule that won't allow that. As I said, ridiculous.

Oh what a fun day that was.

Two more things: - I really like Efan Ekuku as a co-commentator. Does his home work, authoritative, honest and unbiased. Would like to hear more from him in that role. I didn't think the lads would win it. Ahead of the knock out rounds, I thought the semis would be as much as they could manage so well played them and shame on me.

Well done to the lads. It's over and we retain the trophy. In a way this win is more satisfying than last season's. Not in the sense of quality, last year's team was far better but, to be frank, it would have been a disgrace if we had failed to win the tournament last time around because we were clearly the best age group team in Europe then. I don't think that has been the case this time but we got across the line. When you bear in mind the quality we lost from last year's squad it's a real achievement to bring home the prize.

Charlie Wakefield on the last 5. Another youngster I like. He's not flashy but he is effective, particularly on the counter. If we do get any attack going at this stage it will be a counter.

Mason Mount on for Kyle Scott. Good, Mason should have started I think. Although I've seen Kyle have at least one outstanding game, more often than not he seems lacking in possession. Bearing in mind his illness I think he's given his all but Mason's greater surety of touch may help us slow up the waves of PSG attacks a bit. Good stuff Kasey. 2-1.

PSG's equaliser has been coming.

I'm going to get stick for saying this but he reminds me a little of Ledley King. With Fikayo, Jake, Jay, Ola if he stays, and not to mention Andreas, I don't think we need to make any more speculative signings of young defenders. First team ready stars is one thing but no more Matt Miazgas I'd say. Nothing against Matt. I like him but I like that list of names too.

Tell you later. Dental appointment now. One spoiler though. If you were old enough to remember the event, you didn't just 'hear' about it.

I prefer to say that I feel the rivalry very strongly rather than that I dislike them. Liverpool are the only club I think I would say that about. I'm not certain but I think it's a combination of factors, as always. If there were a single thing maybe it's because the first 'live' game I ever saw on the television was the 1967 FA Cup final. I remember a deep sense of injustice because Terry Venables, who they had recently signed from us, was playing for them. I was six and didn't really understand the transfer system . I just couldn't get it out of my head that one of our players was playing for them. The evil, wicked, dastardly people from the land of Tottenham were miserable, stinking cheats. I think the feeling just lodged in my psyche.

Being aware that you are one of our overseas fans, I anticipated all of that while writing my original post and your point of view is entirely legitimate of course. That said, when your probable stance came to me, I thought of my own support of the NFL's Washington franchise. I follow them from a distance, as you follow Chelsea, albeit that I've done so since 1983. Part of Washington fan lore I've taken on board is the rivalry with Dallas. It's a good day in the NFL when bad things happen to the Cowboys. While I'm not intending to be critical of the way you do it, these cultural things do tend to transmit around the globe as can be seen in the attitudes of international supporters of, say, Celtic & Rangers, or of Manchester United and Liverpool. It's all part of the fun. The emphasis is on the word fun however. I don't hate Spurs, there are clubs indeed that I dislike far more than I do them, Liverpool for example. If it were a question of choosing between Spurs and Liverpool winning the title however, just hand me that red scarf will you. There is no ugliness in this feeling, not in the way I experience it. It is just part of the entertainment. As I have often said, stealing from much cleverer people than me, if Tottenham Hotspur did not exist, it would be necessary for me to invent them. Even at my age, I get wildly excited when the two Tottenham games come around. I would hate to be without them.

Well said. People who post in that way can't possibly be supporters of this club. Not, at least, in the way I've always understood by the word supporter. Now, @Blue_Fox_ and others may very well say it's nobody's business to tell them how, or even who, to support and they'd be right of course. When you post in that way on a Chelsea fan forum however you have to accept that people are not going to like it and that they are not going to keep quiet about it.

Never, if I lived for a million, trillion, billion, billion years would you find me agreeing that there could possibly be anything good about Spurs wining the league. I can hardly believe I'm reading such a thing posted by a Chelsea fan. Forget reasonableness, fairness or sound analysis; this is Tottenham Hotspur we're talking about man! I was alive the last time Spurs won the league. Fortunately I was just a baby so have no memory of it but, even so, I have to tell you that once was more than enough. As far as that lot winning the league while I'm still in the world is concerned, never mind twenty's plenty, one and done is the song I'm singing.

Yes! Last minute of injury time, winner from Fran Kirby completes the fightback. Chelsea 2-1 Man City. The holders, who trailed with less than 3 minutes of normal time remaining, are through to a second successive Women's FA Cup final. The game will be staged at Wembley on May 14th.

Give or take the odd upswing in form by Willian, or downturn in productivity from Oscar, I still think the observation I've been making about Oscar over the last 3 years is accurate. With apologies to those who've read it before, the observation comes in two parts: - Oscar is clearly not good enough to start for the team Chelsea wish to be. Oscar is nevertheless the best number 10 Chelsea have.