EskWeston

Absolutely amazing display. This game had everything and must have been exciting for a neutral but for me it was a rollercoaster of emotions. JT let himself, the team and fans down with what he did, we will miss him big time in the final, not as much as we will miss Ramires though. Ramires goals was utter brilliance, goal of the season no doubt. As for Torres goal, watching it back it was clever but risky, when he loses the ball he saw the oppertunity with all Barca players forward and hoped that his absense didn't cost us and that a player would spot him and hoof it upfield, and that is what happened. Quality first touch and perfect around the keeper. I still can't believe we did it but we have! Don't care who we play in the final.... Given the season we have had i am so proud as always of this team.

Hard to compare them as players, very very different. But in terms of potential Chalobah has as much if not more than Pogba. I really see Nathaniel growing into that holding role in midfield. Like i said a little more maturity and he would be really awesome, and he is most of the time.

Unless we can get a real game changer of a manager in then i would want to see Robbie stay. He has done very well and has shown tactically he is very very clever, we do not have a great squad at the moment and he has done great with what he does have. There are not many managers i would choose ahead of him now having seen how he has settled into the role.

Excellent thread Tomo, my thoughts on these players: Matej Delac - A very strange one this one, very highly thought of but we have massively struggled to find the right place to put him to develop for the last couple of seasons and it might have done enough to decide for us to let him move on, with the emergence of Courtois and Blackman being very highly thought of and playing very well, i think there is a chance he could find a new home for good in the summer. At the very least we need to find him somewhere he will play games. Thibaut Cortouis - Easy! Leave him at Atletico, fantastic experience for him there, we could not find a better place to let him develop. Pointless bringing him in as a back up to Cech at the moment, one more year at least for him. Rhys Taylor - Agree with your verdict Tomo, down the pecking order, hasn't pushed on enough and will surely be moved on in the summer. Sam Walker - I like Sam Walker, very good keeper. Will need to move up a level with his next loan, not easy to do with keepers but that is what he needs. Courtois and Blackman both probably better than him but he is doing all the right things at the moment, lets see if he can cope with a higher level. Tomas Kalas - Again stay where he is, he is getting great experience and playing on a regular basis, which is the MOST important thing with a loan spell. Let him mature another season and take another look at him then.... Ben Gordon - For me never looked up to the standard and have been suprised to see him stick around as long as he has. Would imagine all parties would be interested in a deal that would see him move to Kilmarnock permanantly. It would be the best thing to do. Never going to do anything for Chelsea. Milan Lalkovic - An example of the flaws with the loan system. Been to 2 clubs now that have not given him the game time he deserves. Can be a top winger but we are in danger of stifling that talent. Lets see what happens with the new U21's league, might be best to keep him within the club if the standard in good enough! If not just somewhere he will get the game time. Don't want to see him wasted. Ulises Davilla - Went to Vitesse to settle to life in Europe and seems to have done a decent job. I am sure the aim is to keep him there (this is why we have this Vitesse link) and see if he can push into their first team. Gael Kakuta - Finally got the loan he has needed. Given the lack of game time he has has the last couple of seasons personally i would give him another year in France on loan and let him mature even more actually playing games. Then let him come back, it is too soon for him IMO to try and make a push for our first team. More games for him first. Jeffrey Bruma - A few stories of things not going so well for him in Hamburg so i would not be suprised if he came back and then went elsewhere. For sure he needs to play more games at a good standard so it will be another loan move for him. Kevin De Bruyne - The story is that he will go on loan again next season, but that was with AVB in charge and before some hugely impressive performances playing in the middle of the park recently. I say bring him in, we need his type of player in our squad and we have him available, we would only buy someone who will restrict his chances the following year anyway.... Patrick Van Aanholt - He will surely have another loan, but it needs to be the right one where he can spend the season. He needs to follow in Bertrands footsteps, pay his dues at other clubs, get plenty of experience and then try and challenge for a spot in our first team. Another loan for Patrick. Don't agree that he could be useful in attack, quick with good ability but no-where near the technical ability to be able to do that in the Premier League like Bale has done. Josh McEachran - The loan to Swansea has been a little dissapointing for sure. Again i think it will depend of what we see from the U21's league and what it will bring. For his first loan to be in the Premiership was probably a little over ambitious and in hindsight a mistake. Either a loan where he WILL play or stay. Yossi Benayoun - No doubt he will move on in the summer, we need to move on and he will not be part of that. A couple of points on the whole loan system, on the whole it does NOT benefit players, a few will benefit from it but not enough. The deal we have with Vitesse could prove to be very important for us and some of our better prospects to play in the dutch league.

Trust me, Nathaniel Chalobah is NOT underrated by anyone at CFC. The difference between Piazon and Chalobah is that Piazon has a bit more maturity in his play that Chalobah, Chalobah can dominte games, but sometimes when 1 - 0 down playing holding midfield he will try a flick or back heel and lose possesion rather than do the simple thing. Piazon will always do what is needed, if he feels he can make a run he will do, but if it is not on he will hold the ball up and look for the best pass. That is why i beleive Piazon is closer to the first team that Chalobah. Take nothing away from Chalobah though he is bloody awesome, think more and more his best position is the holding role, could be a legend there if he continues in the same development.

Lol, quite a religious team we put out there......

This was a brilliant performance from a really talented group of players. Each one of them is top class, Piazon, Feruz, Ake, Chalobah the real stand outs at the moment. Most of this team will be playing next seasons youth cup too. I cannot see these boys not scoring at Blackburn so the cup is practically in our hands already. I really hope whatever is being planned with regards to the NextGen comp and the U21's league is enough to bridge the gap to first team because i would hate to see this group being wasted like we are doing at the moment with the likes of Connor Clifford, Billy Clifford, Aziz Deen Conteh ect....

No problem guys. Davey had another excellent game. Really stepped up well into this youth team squad. Have been very impressed with him.

No idea if we got anything for Prosenik.... Injuries ruined his progress with us and he never really got going, with him struggling to get games it was best to let him move on.

There is only one type of football and that is winning football. Roberto is clever enough to have seen how we have dealt with Barca in the past and will use that to take into this game. Barca are not looking forward to playing us.

Lol, same as me. I won't enjoy tonights game unless we go a few goals up. These games against Barca are never enjoyable affairs. The thing that is going to drive me mad is the Barca play acting. We really need to not get involved and not give the ref an excuse to send a player off.

Actually he is very dangerous running at defenders with the ball at his feet. The goal on Friday against United showed that, and the goal he scored in the first leg also. Feruz is a fantastically talented player, a real dynamo. Unlike most of the centre forwards we have seen at CFC youth recently (Neilson, Borini, Mitrovic, Prosenik) he is an all action player that benefits from football played on the deck, which the rest of the youth team are very very capable of doing just that.

Always have a bad feeling when we play Barca, SOMETHING is bound to happen and not in a good way and it pretty much always goes against us. We are already written off so there is not that much pressure on us and it could work in our favour. We have tended to play Barca very well and they have been tight matches but we are different animal this season so i am not sure how this is going to play out.

To be honest i would not be gutted if we miss out on the CL spot. It would be a shame. But the main reason the club look to the CL is from a financial aspect. It would not be the worst thing in the world to take a season out the CL, use the UEFA cup to try new things, young players ect. and built a new team that we are crying out to do and focus on the league for next season.

I think Roberto is doing a great job, and the results and the belief in the team show that. I don't think the performances have been great on the whole, but i think we are (and have been all season and last) hindered by an inbalanced squad. The fact that Roberto is having to play Kalou (who is a decent squad player but not ideally who you would have starting) and Ramires (out of position) on the wings shows that imbalance. Imagine if we had 2 top class wide players with this team, we would be playing some great football i am sure. We have no idea who Chelsea have lined up to take over, but i think Roberto has given a strong case.

I am sure clubs like Barca are interested as he is a talent. it is down to Chelsea to convince him that here is the best place for him.

He is currently injured. had he been fit he would have played in the FA youth cup. Very good player and i am sure we will see lots of him next season. If you look at any of the highlights from early season U18's games you will see him very much involved.

Piazon is adapting well since his move and he is improving with every game. He will need another season at CFC to really settle in and be comfortable, maybe a first team appearance here and there (although unlikely) and then the season after will go out on loan. There will be a new set up for reserve football next season (although the details are yet to be announced) so hopefully he will benefit from that.

For me we have a first class striker. We have to concentrate on getting the best out him next season. The service to the forward at the moment is frankly f**king s**t. Pele couldn't score in this Chelsea team at the moment. It is too easy to look at the fact Torres is not scoring and say we should get rid, but we should be looking deeper at the problem because Torres is not the problem with this team at the moment.

Just brilliant. The first half was a poor display, being out played and out fought, caught out time and again by the long diagonal balls and percentage balls. Second half was was just something else, they got their game together, fought hard and got what they deserved. Was so frustrated at half time at the prospect of this great team going out after a performance like the first half. The whole team was great in the second half, no stand outs from this game, although Feruz continues to look something very very special indeed. Amazing.

This...................... Or failing that: ................................................Cech....................................................... Ivanovic....................Luiz.........................Terry..........................Bertrand ...............................................Romeu..................................................... .......................Ramires...............................Lampard.............................. .................................................Mata....................................................... .............................Sturridge....................Torres......................................

Yes 100% right. Although it does not have to be the Championship, even starting off in league 2 or lower would be good and then working up.

It's not the coaching at that level that is the problem, it is the football set up in this country. If we had something real in place for 18 to 22 year olds to develop properly we would be developing some seriously quality players. As it stands we have proper talent like Connor Clifford, Jacob Mellis, Billy Clifford ect.. just sitting around kicking their heels playing poor standard reserves football. Until something changes we are going to continue to struggle to develop our own for first team. Of course it doesnt help that we do not even give them a chance.

The amazing thing is that such a large number of players are still eligable for next seasons competition, a year stronger and better: Nathan Ake Nathaniel Chalobah Adam Nditi Lewis Baker John Swift Anjur Osmanovic Ruben Loftus-Cheek Islam Feruz Not to mention all the players who will step up for next season, all quality players. The FA Youth Cup has become a very good competition for us.

Why is it perceived to be a risk to play youngsters? It was not really a risk to play Romeu, but because he came from Barca he is perceived to be ready, when in reality Bertrand has far more experience than him in a league of better quality to that of the league Bara B play in. You cannot subtly immerse players into a team without playing them, we just do not give players a chance, AT ALL. Just look at Gokhan Tore now, Jacapo Sala is playing now too and scoring against Bayern Munich, Miroslav Stoch also doing very well (and this is a player who shined when he did get a chance) but still deemed not good enough. All 3 wingers but were perceived to not be good enough to get ahead of the likes of our top performing stars like Florent Malouda and Saloman Kalou.