Tomo

I had an interesting conversation on Twitter with someone nearly five years ago about our academy, even created an article about it at the time, which I even managed to find, here it is..... I have since deleted Twitter, so you won't be able to find the whole conversation although in the replies a couple quoted some of the things the other lad said to me, but basically he said a chief of the FA youth development programme (something along them lines) said Chelsea have all the best youngsters from London and surrounding area's and that the long term plan in place is insanely brilliant, also that Rome wasn't built in a day and to give it time we will dominate just like Man.Utd did. Despite bringing the contents off the convo on here i was pretty skeptical, Twitter can be full of attention seeking morons at the best of times, but looking at the sheer success of the academy since then, was everything said to me that day spot on? 5 youth cup finals in a row (3 wins plus one final to come) and back to back Uefa youth league victories along with all the other success our youth teams have enjoyed certainly suggest so, to put the youth cup achievements into perspective, when we made it three finals in a row in 2014, we were the first to do so since the Busby babes, to be on 5 now is just insane. I don't watch the youth team as much as I would like but when I do what strikes me is the sheer chemistry they share, Blackburn first leg semi this year for example, their wasn't as much individual quality as their has been on other teams, but they were still so comfortable in their possesion and movements that Rover's couldn't touch us. So the key question is, have we played the ultimate long game? because the first part of what the lad said was right as our academy sides are getting stronger by the year, so is it only a matter of time before we truly reap the rewards? Is Ruben the start of our very own class of 92?

If we make loads of changes in CB and CM I can see Conte starting the season with Ivan and Azpi, not because he will nesseserily want to, but too many new arrivals (which Ake technically will be) will probably mean problems with gelling, like we saw with Spurs. If we have the two new centre mids and two new centre halfs (one being Christensen recall) we all want, I can see everything else remaining the same at least for the first few months.

Here is something I would like to get general opinion on? Who else would happily sign up for another season of Ivanovic and Baba getting significant minutes if we sort out central defense and midfield? And I mean truly sort it out. Ivanovic, Azpi, Baba and Ake is no worse than our fullback combo in the back to back title years when we broke defensive records.

Or maybe we troll the awards like Norwich fans did and give the award to Marco Amelia? Although jokes aside if it weren't for Willian I would be suggesting that for real.

Ive for a lot of time for you but to call this a definite loss is absurd. Even if we were in Villas position I wouldn't have this one chalked down like that.

I get that, but their are some reactions on here all year long that would be uncalled for even if we were in Villas position. Like blaming Courtois for yesterday like some have, the msy bewildering thing I have ever seen.

Beckham was shafted by United but he never rocked up at Chelsea, Liverpool or City. When you create such a legacy at a club you should never join a rival in my opinion, if I played for Galatasaray never would I ever play for or manage Fenebache, I would rather hang up my boots, same way Simeone would never manage Real. It hurts a lot seeing players/managers that created such a big legacy go to rivals without a second thought, the class of 92 at United would have never have done that no matter what, heck even Liverpool's spice boys of Fowler, Gerrard, Mcmannaman, Carragher didn't (all be it the second one was tempted but he still didn't), Raul was deemed surplus to requirements at Real in 2010 but he didn't go Leti or Barca. It would have been one thing Essien, Carvalho, Malouda doing this, but for Cech, Lampard and Mou is horrendous.

So out of the original five piece that shaped our trophy laden 2004-2012 years (Jose, Cech, Terry, Lampard, Drogba) three have gone to rivals, smh what's wrong with them.

Very good questions and i actually agree with you on number one and two, but I think that's a minor issue compared to the desperate need to sort the central areas out, I think/hope that's what Conte is going to make a massive priority, if we have the funds to make signings wide aswell, then ideal, but central area comes first this summer for me. 3. Do you mean with a creative edge or are you not a big fan of Kante and Raja? 4. That's true and with European footy I would never even entertain the idea, but I feel with Betrand being third choice he won't get a great deal of game's and it may open the door for Tammy to do a Rashford if disaster strikes and those two get injured at the same time.

Here is my assessment on what's needed. Goalkeeper Hopefully Courtois will stay, if he doesn't we must sell him to Madrid, purely because we could get Keylor Navas as part of the deal, if we lose Tibo the Costa Rican is the only keeper realistically attainable that wouldn't be an astronomical step down. If Begovic is happy to be the cup keeper keep him but if not sell him and find another back up, we won't get a #2 as good as him but I trust that Conte will find someone reasonably reliable. If we have the space give Amelia another year aswell, none of the youth keepers are good enough to be in the squad. Fullback Recall Ake, sell Baba, apart from that leave it, it needs more work in the long run but there are higher priorites this summer. Centre back Get rid of Cahill, hopefully find a way to get Andreas back, loan out Miazga, give JT another year, also sign an experienced centre back. Central midfield Needs the most work, two solid and athletic centre midfielders are needed, maybe say Kante and Naingollan and those two can rotate/compete with Ruben, I would keep Matic and give him a chance to get back on form but he will start as a squad player, Mikel can go. Wing I hope we go to 4-3-3 meaning back to just wingers Kenedy I don't rate as a winger and hope he gets developed at left back, I hope Musonda is brought back, him along with Hazard, Willian and Pedro will be good options in that position, especially if the Haz and Pedro find form. Strikers Well first things first, Falcao gone and hopefully Remy too, with only about 40-50 games next season I'm torn on whether to sign another player or risk going in with Costa and Traore meaning the latter will have plenty of development time, maybe try and extend Pato loan jf possible, or maybe enquire about Troy Deeney. So in summary this is what I hope to see. Keepers: Courtois, Begovic, Amelia. Fullbacks: Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Ake, Kenedy. Centre back: new signing, Christensen, Zouma, Terry. Central midfield: Naingolan, Fabregas, Kante, Loftus Cheek, Matic, Baker. Wing: Hazard, Willian, Pedro, Musonda. Attack: Costa, Deeney, Traore. Three top quality signing, four loan returns and a lot of the players responsible for this mess out and we have a much healthier looking squad, we have a lot of quality, sell the deadwood and bring in genuine quality and we are a different animal, take yesterday's game, it was won down the middle, swap Mikel for Kante/Naingolan and Cahill and Ivanovic for Christensen and a top centre half and we get a result yesterday.

Ake without a doubt, Kalas and Bamford however are just not good enough and recalling them will just be a complete waste of time for both parties.

I bet you're glad we didn't appoint Allegri?

I think we will win purely because they are awful at the back, one thing we have done well under Guus is take advantage of teams with pompus defenses (MK Dons, Newcastle). Think this game will run a similar course to the Palace away game, even so meh, it's the Spurs game I'm looking at now.

He was dreadful yesterday, no sugar coating that, although I don't no what else to expect playing him in a double pivot vs City, and we signed him knowing his defensive limitations. Howeveryou cannot ignore the creative side he brings to the table, he is an animal with even a cm of space, and hopefully, Conte can find ways to utilise that and hide his weaknesses.

Am I missing something here, how the fucking hell is Courtois responsible in any way shape or form for yesterday? Even as a fan I don't hide the fact he has been poor off late and deserves criticism but for yesterday? Fuck off, it would have been 6-7 if it wasn't for him, and as for the red, the defenders threw him under a bus and yes it may have been more logical all things considered to "let" Fernandinho score, but anyone with professional dignity will do what it takes to stop the goal, bringing him down at least gives Asmir a chance to save the pen. Courtois deserves as much blame for yesterday as Begovic does the reverse fixture, in other words none. Also out of interest how many of you want Courtois sold but also rue Lukaku and KDB sale? Irony at its finest that.

He's got great potential at left back jf he can work on his defending, can be done its been seen with Alaba etc..... I really do think Kenedy could grow in that position. He's average in the attacking positions can't argue there, compare his potential to the likes of Musonda and its light and day.

God I hope not, as much as Begovic is a good back up, selling Courtois and making Asmire number one would make selling KDB to play Oscar look like a masterstroke.

Pedro, Ruben and Courtois were brilliant, Willian and Cesar was OK the rest were a complete embarrassment. Cahill and Baba are frauds

Its quite funny the Courtois near post thing, I just watched back all the goals we conceded while Tibo was out and Asmir conceded three goals at his near post (2nd vs Porto, Steven Davis leveler for Saints and Zarate opener for WHU), I'm only flagging this now because I haven't seen two of them goals upto now due to being in football practice while the games were on at the time (for obvious reasons I didn't watch the highlights back then). Interesting to say the least.

Fletcher was actually a starter for three or so years before his unfortunate illness, and that's because Fergie appreciated what he brought the table, a purist would have chosen a more flashy player but not Fergie. He also regularly choose Valencia over a much more talented Nani team balance sake. Also, he would never do anything that put the team in any sort of handicap, when he gave Ronaldo the free role, do you know how he compensated for the sake of the team balance? Two defensive midfielders, even at home to shit teams, because if he he didn't, there would be too much space for opposition to exploit on the break. Rooney summed it up after Ronaldo left, he was asked if it was easier now Ronaldo left and he said not for him, but maybe the defense and midfield.

That's minimum requirement.

Not disputing that

Coutinhos having his one in ten then I'm guessing?

I'm not saying this is the case in Oscar vs De Bruyne as Jose clearly made the wrong decision, but it's a bit unfair how you inverted commas the fit the system bit. Real Madrid are probably the only club with world class players on every position and look were that gets them, honestly when things don't go their way they look truly horrendous. Fergie mastered the art of system player's, Ji Sung Park and Darren Fletcher were not big stat whores or world class players by any stretch, but both played a vital role in bringing titles home, in fact Fergie use to put the latter on the opposition's most dangerous midfielder in big games (Gerrard vs Liverpool, Lampard vs us, Cesc vs Arsenal) and it worked.

If Fabio Borini scores in back to back games the knifes will be getting sharpened ready to come out if he nets in the third.