The only place to be

What's the gap between Man United reserves and Serie A? Paul Pogba. I completely disagree with your last point about what we should or shouldn't be doing. I see a lot of these kids playing in the flesh and youngsters like Chalobah (who we're discussing here) can sometimes make that jump. Do you think United should loan out Januzaj? I think you're a believer in a very prescriptive method of blooding youngsters, and it seems to follow the blueprints we've been using for the past decade. But you can go through every single sport and see exceptions to this 'bring them on slowly' methodology. This staid process also seems to be pretty darn boring, but maybe that's the Canadian in you. (That last line was a joke based on a stereotype that's well-worn ground for poor jokes, before any culturally unaware admins decide to get arsey).

Sorry but I've corrected you on your use of Wenger as an example in these debates on youth before. The problem at Arsenal wasn't a reliance on use but A WOEFUL UNDERINVESTMENT IN THE FIRST TEAM. Also no-one is saying that 18-20 year olds should have nailed-on spots but that they should be used in the squad rather than us wasting spots on Essien, Ba and Eto'o. Exactly. Arsenal actually got a few things rights, but failed to capitalise on their opportunities by investing. Right now they seem to have reached something of a middle ground with expensive signings like Ozil alongside young players developed in-house (Wilshere, Gibbs) and those acquired and trained up (Ramsay, Walcott).

No offence but I don't get that. To me he's a guy being asked to do a job in an unfamiliar role, but still putting 100% into his game and having some good matches. The guy solidified his legend status when he put that penalty away against Liverpool whilst still grieving for his mother. It's why I don't understand some of the shit talked about him by so-called fans who suggest he's been nothing but awful all season (just to be clear I'm certainly not accusing you of that).

I'd say all those signings have maintained or increased their transfer value. That's a sensible policy because they're young guys who are worth more today than when we bought them. Look, I just don't think he's the right guy. A few years ago when he left Porto was the time to get him but now we need to spend in other areas.

It's very easy to commit us to around £100 million of spending when it's not your money. Sure we could go that route again but I'd prefer to see us buy sensibly, use the resources we already have and build something that might take a bit more time, but could be sustainable over a longer period of time.

You may disagree but I've seen us win titles where our main striker scored about a dozen league goals. I reckon if we had a world-class midfielder then it would make us a better team. I think the attacking players would benefit massively and we wouldn't be shipping goals at home to West Brom. Falcao's a good player but I think we've got to look for value in the market and he doesn't offer that. It's reminiscent of the short-termist thinking that got us into a mess a couple of seasons back.

He can give it all he wants behind a keyboard. I've offered him the chance. That usually shuts him up.

Choulo decided to bring up some old shit, I corrected him. He'll probably crack again and release some more of my personal info. Fucking joke is that I can't even add him to the ignore list....pain in the arse if you just want to talk to Chelsea supporters and ignore the other flotsam.

At the time I thought he was a far better option for us. I still think he'd be a better option than Mikel but Rami has stepped up his game. Not embarrassed by that. Drink your pint.

Is that the best you've got? I said if he secured a decent loan this season and impressed (you really don't like it when I actually use the real words I used and not your lies) then he could be a late bolter for the squad. A bit like Lallana...or Lambert....or Jay Rodriguez....or Ross Barkley....or Andros Townsend....none of these players was close to the squad before this season and only Barkley was realistically on many people's radars. So why don't you just enjoy your pint....want it in a mug?

Reading Choulo's assessment of Chalobah reminds me of some of the stuff said about Pogba when he was struggling in the reserves at United. Can't blame him though - maybe he's hoping lightening will strike twice and his club will end up with another highly-rated teenager from an English academy. Sorry Choulo but I can't see Nat joining you and your friends at Juve. Drink up.

We're leaving loads of points on the table because we're not a great team and that stems from a lack of strength in midfield to control the game. Sticking another chimney on the roof means fuck all if the foundations are rotten.

Exactly. The thing I was hoping FFP would force us to be was a bit more artful with our use of resources. We have a fine academy yet we neglected young players for about 5 years and had an ageing squad. No-one is expecting 11 potential ballon d'or winners to come through but it's the development of the John O'Shea's, Jonny Evans, Darren Fletchers etc. that we should be getting at least. No-one is saying we shouldn't buy players either. There should be a balance though and Mourinho had the chance to do that. He could've kept Chalobah and Lukaku around and not relied on Eto'o and Essien. In the league cup he could've played a few youngsters rather than a b-team. If he'd had wanted to he could've even replaced Cech with Courtois (although that's a stretch). What we've seen is none of this. Worse, players who were on the fringes like Ake are nowhere to be seen. It's a shame because there's something beautiful about seeing young players progress from the youth ranks to a spot in the first team but for some reason there's no will to make that happen.

Pogba is older and has benefitted massively from being entrusted with a spot in a midfield with quality players. I know...I know a few scouts so I don't need you telling me stuff. But you stick to denigrating our players both young and old. I come here to talk to Chelsea supporters, so congrats on being the first person on my ignore list. Enjoy your pint.

No-one has said that. Why don't you just stick to calling our supporters plastic and enjoy your pint.

So we're Real Madrid now. That's fucking depressing.

Yup. The constant need for success has turned us into a schizophrenic mess of a club with no identity. But at least we won the CL in 2012. EDIT - here's my view. Mourinho had a chance to make changes at the start of the season. He was the most popular a coach has been for a long time here and we were near rock-bottom after the Benitez debacle. He could've used our young players and said he was building a new Chelsea, with a new identity. Instead he went the other route. Hopefully it works out for the best and we begin to use the academy but it'll be tough for him to find another moment in time when he'll have the freedom to do something radical, like Fergie did in 1995.

Did you see them both at youth level? The difference in their careers has been one had a chance taken on him. 50k a week? Juve only pay him about £20k don't they? In fact wasn't that the figure reported in the press at the time? What's your source (he asked knowing he wouldn't get one)? Pogba wanted football. A lot of United fans wanted him to get games but he didn't, so he left. How comes Swansea signed Michu? Managers make mistakes and some teams would rather sign Huddlestone and Livermore because they're 'PL Proven'. I'm not entirely sure what you're basing the 2 or 3 year estimate on but then I'm not entirely sure you've seen him enough to know what deficiencies he has in his game, so I won't push you. I assume you'll use general terms like 'experience' and maybe 'reading of the game'. I'm of a different opinion. I agree with your last point about the culture of the club and I don't know if that comes from above, or if our fanbase is so fickle that they wouldn't put up with subpar performances from youngsters. I fear it may be a bit of both. We haven't seen a high enough calibre of youngster come through until the last 18-24 months. I just don't understand what Ake has done to be demoted when he was impressive last season in a position that we desperately need numbers. Instead we play Michael Essien in league cup games.

Pogba was fed up with not getting a chance - the same seems like it could be happening with Chalobah based on some of the reports coming from Forest. Environment is so important to a player's development - just look at Morrison at West Ham. Given a bit of responsibility in a new place and he's starting to fulfil the potential everyone said he had.

It rarely is with him. And that's the point - there was a culture of promoting youth at Arsenal. Yes it needed to be balanced with investment in the first-team so they could win trophies, but that's the balance that we need to find. Van Ginkel I can understand. Even Arsenal bought in Ramsay (and that belief in youth is certainly paying off). It's the balance that we need to find where we compliment signings with developing youngsters, much like United founded their succes on.

Has anyone said differently? What La Masia has found is a formula that best prepares young kids with talent for the rigours of professional football. We have a fantastic academy in place but it's bridging that gap that is an issue. That's my opinion so how you can simply say it is wrong I'm not sure, but Chalobah has been highly regarded and massively impressive for years now. I don't see anything in your post that points to specifics about his ability to suggest that you actually have any knowledge of him. This year he has been underwhelming but last year he was one of the most impressive young English players around. Even when he and Pogba were in direct competition, they were clearly head and shoulders above the rest. You should try and look at some of the old videos of our youth games with him in them. Enjoy your pint.

He's shown an ability to find space in the box, score goals and bring others into the game. He's also a massive physical presence which we were completely lacking against West Brom. Eto'o might not give up possession but he's still not that impressive (bear in mind I know his stats and I've also watched him play).

Exactly. When we played United in the Youth Cup it was obvious that Chalobah and Pogba were a class above but Pogba has shown what putting a player around other quality players can do. Nat was massively impressive for much of last season at Watford, but he needs to be around better players now. Loaning him back to Forest is pointless when he needs a step-up in the quality he faces and plays around. There's also the point that he might even make us a better team because that pivot still isn't good enough.

I'm not entirely sure how you've arrived at that conclusion. What a lot of supporters want is for the academy graduates to be given a chance to compliment the first-team squad and maybe challenge for a spot when they've earned that shot. I know you might think we're still churning out Mark Nicholls and Neil Shipperley but we have one of the finest academies in the world and yet the pathway from youth team to first-team is seemingly non-existent. Signings absolutely have their place but so do homegrown players - in fact they're a necessity in the modern game.

No doubt, but where's he going to go from there? Even if we sold him I'm not sure we'd recoup the transfer fee, wages and associated costs. With regards Piazon, I've never been overly impressed with him since his days in the youth team. Nice player but never took the game by the balls like you'd perhaps hope he might (and like Boga does). Could have a decent career but not here in my opinion. I had no problem with Van Ginkel because I thought he would compliment Mikel, Lamps, Chalobah, Ake and Ramires....I didn't expect us to recall Essien, loan Chalobah and bury Ake in the youth team. So your argument is that Barca have only produced one 'greatest player of all time'? I think the most of us would be happy with the development of squad players like Valdes, Montoya, Tello, Pedro etc. Or maybe other worldies like Puyol, Iniesta, Guardiola, Xavi etc. Of course that's ignoring the comment about the 'intrinsic level of talent of the player in the first place' because players like Chalobah are immensely talented and physically ready. Yet they are farmed out to Championship sides.