EskWeston

Been swamped at work, havn't had a chance to write a report or comment on this game yet!!!! Bottom line is that it was not a good performance, the whole team were well under par and should have comfortbaly won that game. Jamal Blackman was our man of the match, despite letting in 4 none of which was his fault he was brilliant for a keeper so young. Van Aanholt the only other player to come away looking good from that performance. The reserves have had a fantastic season so far with some great results and performances. This sort of thing happening has been fairly normal in previous reserves seasons but this season it is not. However the way the reserve league works i am not suprised to see this kind of results although the preformance was very much dissapointing. Borini had a shoulder injury by the way.

He is doing quite well there it would seem, his work ethic and passing ability would have always meant he would do well though. Lets see where he goes from here though,

Will be very tough for him, he hit something of a wall before his injury. Couldn't really find a decent loan move for him and he stuck around in the reserves, chances of him making it at Chelsea are minimal, but the club will look to nurse him back and then help him move on.

Will be back into full training shortly apparently, will have to see how he does from there.

Basically he has been loaned out to move his development forward, to see how he handles a higher level of football.

No problem......

We are not going to be loaning players like Connor to Premiership clubs, thats just a fact. We have to put them where they will get the most benefit from. First step is to get used to playing league football. After this loan he may well move to a Championship club, there is no point sending him to a Championship club if he isn't going to get played.

Sure, he joined the academy at a late stage by modern terms, was playing park football until he 15, although Chelsea had been keeping an eye on him for some time but decided he would be better to carry on playing where he was until they thought he was ready. He can score a goal for sure and became a supersub during the 2008 run to the FA Youth Cup final scoring some important goals. Since then has suffered a couple of serious injuries that has kept him out for a very long time. He is quick and knows how to finish.

Highlights:

Discuss Connor's loan move here......

Its a good place for him to start, a place to show that he can cut it in Professional football. Hope he gets the games there and sows what he is all about.

Lol, let the love in begin!!! This has been really bad for United, with everything that was said by Rooney, Fergie and all the United players i am actually suprised he stayed..... Clearly he has been persuaded of the clubs ambitions by an extra £20k a week or so Surely the dressing room at United will have suffered from this..

If it came down to it i would pick Rooney, but chances are we will end up with Neither....

Even more fickle because if he decides he wants to stay all of a sudden they will love him again and all will be forgiven.

Very true actually, still there is enough competition there for Borini to find it hard to get chances. I think his time will come, like i say he has worked hard this season and i would not be surprised at all to see him come off the bench on Saturday.

Even though he scored 5 yesterday i wouldn't start him in a game yet. Wolves will be a tough test and with Arsenal and Man City faving off on Sunday we will definately need to win this one and to win it well too. I think that Drogba will be definately back, Bosingwa will be available for selection also. Not too sure on anyone else though

Borini "could" play out wide. But it most certainly would not be ideal as it is not natural to him, Just look at the recent Liverpool reserves game to see what he can do from a wide position, but to play him in the first team out wide i think would be very tough for him. Borini will get his chances, his problem is he has to contend with Drogba, Anelka, Sturridge and Kalou for that central striker role..... Kakuta and McEachran have less competition and as such have had more playing time. A quick note on Borini, personally i don't think last season was very good for him performance wise. This season he has really kicked up a gear and playing well, on the back of last nights reserve game it may well be time to bring him off from the bench in the second half of this game and see what he does.

Absolutely no idea, all i know is that he is a Chelsea and Drogba fan who has visited the bridge and will not leave his current club until he has finished his schooling. Regarding Kakuta, people really shouldn't critisise him at the moment. Anyone who has seen anything from him will know he is massively talented. As i have said he being asked to keep things simple. Given time we will see the best of Kakuta and it will be worth the wait. Why do people want to put so much pressure on these youngsters expecting them to be world beaters immediately

An incredibly young back 4 for us against some pretty experienced West Brom players. So an excellent result overall and well pleased for Borini to bag 5! Down side of this new reserve set up though, this game wasn't televised on CTV!!!! Will hopefully get some footage to be able to upload highlights but can't give any insight into the game...

Captain Fabio Borini netted an amazing five times to bring Chelsea back from 3-0 down on a cold afternoon in Birmingham. A nine-goal thriller saw an Ishmael Miller hat-trick put Chelsea on the back foot before Borini pulled two back in the first half. A further second-half hat-trick from the Italian then secured the Blues victory after the side went 4-3 down after the break. Manager Steve Holland chose three debutants in his back line as Todd Kane, Archange Nkumu and Ben Sampayo all lined up alongside Rohan Ince, who would later be replaced by George Saville for today's fourth first-time reserve appearance. Borini sat in the centre of an attacking trio including Jacopo Sala on the right and Adam Phillip on the left. Meanwhile, Conor Clifford, Daniel Philliskirk and Aliu Djalo made up the midfield. It was a slow start to the game for Chelsea, as we conceded a corner in the opening seconds. Walker was tested twice inside the opening 10 minutes, first smothering a Romaine Sawyers chance and then denying the number 9's second attempt by deflecting onto the bar. Chelsea retaliated with Borini forcing an acrobatic save from West Bromwich keeper Ryan Allsop after feeding off a Philliskirk ball. Minutes later the Italian won a corner when he volleyed a Kane cross goalwards. But the hosts took the lead when, with 22 minutes played, Miller stole possession from Walker and tapped in from close range after the Chelsea keeper fumbled an earlier shot on target. Within seconds of the restart West Brom's number 10 had made it two after chesting down a cross from the right flank and coolly striking into the net with his right foot. It was a bad start for the Blues, one that was about to get worse when Miller netted his hat-trick only two minutes before the half-hour mark. This time it was a left-footed strike from 25 yards out which curled into the top left when the striker was gifted time and space to shoot. Borini started the comeback four minutes later when Allsop failed to hold onto a Sala shot and the Italian smashed the loose ball into the net from close range, making it 3-1. It was only two minutes after Chelsea's first that Borini made it two when he dribbled past the host's defence without being challenged and calmly struck into the net at the far post, despite having two defenders and the keeper between him and the goal. Not much then happened before the half-time whistle blew, with most of the game taking place in midfield as both sides battled to control possession. Holland made no changes during the break while Miller made way for George Thorne on the other side. Within five minutes of the restart Borini secured his hat-trick after Phillip was brought down inside the area and our number 9 stepped up to send West Brom's keeper the way wrong way and slot in the bottom left. The game was 3-3 with 50 minutes played. There were still three goals to come in this closely contested fixture and the first went to West Brom after Walker fumbled again. This time a Clifford mistake gifted Lateef Elford-Alliyu possession on the edge of the box and after Walker failed to hold onto his initial shot, he followed up and finished from close range. Sala then hit the near post with a corner ball before Borini scored a brilliant goal by drilling with his right foot from just inside the area after feeding off a Phillip ball. Allsop could only watch as the ball flew into his own net. Now it was 4-4 but Borini still had one goal left in him to put Chelsea in front for the first and only time in the fixture. Once Ince had made way for Saville to make his debut, the Blues changed from a 4-3-3 formation to 4-4-2, with Sala moving back into midfield. Not long after Holland's change of tactics, Borini netted a fifth. After finding himself in space and with time to aim an accurate shot, the Italian drilled a brilliantly placed strike into the top left from 25 yards out. Possession had fell to him when a Sala cross was deflected into his path. It was Borini's seventh goal in four games and the last strike in an enthralling encounter against a tough West Brom side. A brilliant comeback from Chelsea and a great game of football all round. By Christian Collison Chelsea (4-3-3): Sam Walker; Todd Kane, Archange Nkumu, Rohan Ince (George Saville 75), Ben Sampayo; Conor Clifford, Daniel Philliskirk (Michael Woods 88), Aliu Djalo; Jacopo Sala, Fabio Borini ©, Adam Phillip (Bobby Devyne 90). West Bromwich Albion (4-3-3): Ryan Allsop; Gianni Zuiverloon, Joe Mattock (Saido Berahino 57), Sam Mantom, Abou Meite; Paul Downing ©, James Hurst, Steven Reid; Romaine Sawyers, Ishmael Miller (George Thorne h-t), Lateef Elford-Alliyu. Source: Chelsea FC

I am sure a contract will be agreed upon soon, Borini's contract is also up soon and repors are that he is being tracked by clubs in Italy. We are doing too well in getting contracts sorted for our yongsters at the moment, we got Bruma sorted but Kakuta and Borini are running dangerously close. After losing Stoch we don't want to be losing anymore of our top talented youngsters.

Personally i think the reason for Rooney wanting to leave are down to the stories of him that have been out recently. I think his missus wants him out of Manchester, there is a culture at United of parties without partners and inviting local hookers ect.. so i think that is why he wants to leave, to save his marriage basically. No idea if playing abroad is an option for him, but i think we are a serious option and for the reason stated i don't think he will end up at City plus the fact that Man Utd would be massively reluctunt to sell to them...

Strong starting line up and a very young bench indeed. Good to see both to be honest and i am sure we have more than enough there to win the game...

Utd won't deal with City, different to the Tevez thing. I think the only way he would go City is if he runs down his contract. We would be insane to not try and do a deal, a deal like this comes along very rarely. Would be a little suprised to see him go overseas, could very well go for us this one......

Both Carlo and Kakuta have said in interviews that he is being asked to keep things simple at the moment. As you say Carlo knows what he is doing and i am sure in the long run Kakuta will benefit from the game time he is getting at the moment.,