🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Ruben Loftus-Cheek

[quickpassnmove 924]

i'm really disappointed if mikel has much minutes than him in the rest of season...

RLC should be a CM off the bench behind Ramires (as Fab recovers)... while Mikel only used sometimes to maintain a lead-- but I see that Mikel-use going wrong too. Can't wait 'til Mikel is gone.

[Reddish-Blue 2,509]

We tried to trim the squad to make way for Kakuta and Co, only to find out they weren't mentally ready to play first team, leading us to burning out our player's and most were to old to recover aswell as the "panic" of 2011 deadline day.

Don't get me wrong, im all for giving youth a chance, but am I in favour off chucking experience like Mikel and giving a player with less than 10 senior apps the spot behind Matic? Sorry but I draw the line there.

Thats a fair point, I just wish the coach would give one of the youngsters a run out every now and then

[OhForAGreavsie 6,077]

Thats a fair point, I just wish the coach would give one of the youngsters a run out every now and then

One of the youngsters is getting games and he's getting them because he has convinced Jose to trust him, and to believe that he's the best player available in his position for certain games. If other youngsters want to follow Zouma's lead they can see what they have to do.

Well all know how competitive our matches tend to be. Game time is not going to be handed out, it is going to have to be earned

RLC should be a CM off the bench behind Ramires (as Fab recovers)... while Mikel only used sometimes to maintain a lead-- but I see that Mikel-use going wrong too. Can't wait 'til Mikel is gone.

I think this i sthe right way to look at it. You're not asking for RLC to appear in the match day squad because he's young, you're saying you think he should be selected because he's the best choice available; you're saying he is ready to be picked on merit. Now it's up to RLC to persuade Jose to agree with you.

[Reddish-Blue 2,509]

One of the youngsters is getting games and he's getting them because he has convinced Jose to trust him, and to believe that he's the best player available in his position for certain games. If other youngsters want to follow Zouma's lead they can see what they have to do.

Well all know how competitive our matches tend to be. Game time is not going to be handed out, it is going to have to be earned

I think this i sthe right way to look at it. You're not asking for RLC to appear in the match day squad because he's young, you're saying you think he should be selected because he's the best choice available; you're saying he is ready to be picked on merit. Now it's up to RLC to persuade Jose to agree with you.

In Zouma's case, would he have started consecutive games if Cahill wasn't going through a rough patch of form?

[OhForAGreavsie 6,077]

In Zouma's case, would he have started consecutive games if Cahill wasn't going through a rough patch of form?

My point exactly. Zouma was picked because, for whatever reason, Jose considered him the best option for those games. That's how it is, you won't get games under Jose just because of the numbers on your birth certificate. In my opinion, there is no point calling for some players to be picked simply because they are young. At least not until our fate has been settled for the season. Until then, meaningful minutes will be handed out strictly on merit only. If you are judged the best available, you will be judged old enough and you will play. If you are not considered the best available, it won't matter a jot how old, or how young, you are.

[Gilvorak 3,734]

My point exactly. Zouma was picked because, for whatever reason, Jose considered him the best option for those games. That's how it is, you won't get games under Jose just because of the numbers on your birth certificate. In my opinion, there is no point calling for some players to be picked simply because they are young. At least not until our fate has been settled for the season. Until then, meaningful minutes will be handed out strictly on merit only. If you are judged the best available, you will be judged old enough and you will play. If you are not considered the best available, it won't matter a jot how old, or how young, you are.

Late reply but the Zouma example is not even close to the same thing. Believe it or not Zouma already had 73 pro games under his belt prior to this season. How about we stop pretending he's in the same boat as RLC, Solanke etc?

[Gilvorak 3,734]

It's amazing big clubs like Atletico, Juventus, Bayern, Barcelona, United, Arsenal, Dortmund, Liverpool etc can bring through their products without destabilizing their season but it's impossible at Chelsea.

[Yeboii 1,844]

It's amazing big clubs like Atletico, Juventus, Bayern, Barcelona, United, Arsenal, Dortmund, Liverpool etc can bring through their products without destabilizing their season but it's impossible at Chelsea.

The leagues there are much less difficult than here, and unlike United, Arsenal and Liverpool, we are competing for 3 trophies. Every game is a big game and Mourinho doesn't trust the youngsters for big games.

Also United had to give youngsters a chance in the first team since everyone was injured lol. Look how that turned out for them.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

It's amazing big clubs like Atletico, Juventus, Bayern, Barcelona, United, Arsenal, Dortmund, Liverpool etc can bring through their products without destabilizing their season but it's impossible at Chelsea.

With our preferred squad are we blowing teams out?

[killer1257 3,282]

The leagues there are much less difficult than here, and unlike United, Arsenal and Liverpool, we are competing for 3 trophies. Every game is a big game and Mourinho doesn't trust the youngsters for big games.

Also United had to give youngsters a chance in the first team since everyone was injured lol. Look how that turned out for them.

Nobody asked Mourinho to give the youngstars a chance against the big teams.

The funny thing is that the title race in La Liga is much more difficult than the PL.

[Stats 7,147]

The leagues there are much less difficult than here, and unlike United, Arsenal and Liverpool, we are competing for 3 trophies. Every game is a big game and Mourinho doesn't trust the youngsters for big games.

Also United had to give youngsters a chance in the first team since everyone was injured lol. Look how that turned out for them.

It is not less difficult. Well Germany, yes and Italy as well. In Spain, Atletico, are competing with arguably the two best teams in the world and bring through their products. Saul Niguez came on for them against Real a few weeks ago and scored an overhead kick IIRC and they won 4-0. They gave him a chance in a game they needed to win and the 'risk' paid off.

[Yeboii 1,844]

Nobody asked Mourinho to give the youngstars a chance against the big teams.

The funny thing is that the title race in La Liga is much more difficult than the PL.

I don't agree with that since every team in the Premier League are difficult to beat and are certainly no pushovers.

Look at the bottom five in PL: Sunderland, QPR, Burnley, Aston Villa, Leicester City.

Now look at the bottom five in La Liga: Almeria, Elche, Levante, Granada, Cordoba.

I am confident that the bottom 5 in La Liga are much more easier than the bottom 5 in the PL.

This is what I am saying. Every team in the PL (even so in Championship) are difficult to beat and Mourinho doesn't trust the youngsters enough to play against them. If he was playing against Levante, for example, I have no doubt Aké would get a chance. Playing against Aston Villa is a whole other story.

Also in La Liga there are only 3 teams capable of winning the league. Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona. Every other team fears them.

Here in the PL there are, in my opinion, around 6 teams capable of winning the league. Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Southampton (there may be even more). Every team in the PL is confident in beating any other team in the PL. As a consequence, the games are much harder.

You might also take money into consideration. Real Madrid and Barcelona get much more money than the other teams in the league. Our top teams have plenty of cash to splash around. Arsenal spent loads on a top player like Sanchez, we bought Costa and Fabregas while the Manchester clubs are spending around a hundred million to buy players like Jovetic, Fernandinho, Falcao and Di María.

I could make more points but I'm too busy, sorry

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

It is not less difficult. Well Germany, yes and Italy as well. In Spain, Atletico, are competing with arguably the two best teams in the world and bring through their products. Saul Niguez came on for them against Real a few weeks ago and scored an overhead kick IIRC and they won 4-0. They gave him a chance in a game they needed to win and the 'risk' paid off.

Yes it is less difficult and Atletico are a poor example, they are a great team. So in La Liga its now a three team league instead of two, that doesn't mean its not an easy league. And wasn't Niguez a substitution for Koke against a depleted Real Madrid? Come on...

Chelsea every week are facing difficult teams and are trying extremely hard to win every game, the time for integrating untested youth is when the games are again meaningless. Unless of course the managers hand is forced and a youth player is needed to fill a hole.

We are competing at a very high level and

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

For the people screaming out for youth to play, have we been obliterating teams? In my estimation the games have been uncomfortable for the most part with a goal here and there, especially lately! So how does playing youth players during these circumstances make sense?

[Yeboii 1,844]

Also playing a youth player who is full of excitement and confidence in a difficult game in which he will mess up or gift the other team a goal would be terrible for their confidence, maybe even ruining his development.

[OhForAGreavsie 6,077]

Late reply but the Zouma example is not even close to the same thing. Believe it or not Zouma already had 73 pro games under his belt prior to this season. How about we stop pretending he's in the same boat as RLC, Solanke etc?

I think either I have not explained myself well enough or you have not quite grasped my point. Almost certainly the former I'm sure.

I'm not arguing that Zouma is similar to other members except in one way way. I'm trying to describe my point of view that Kurt gets games for one reason, and one reason, only. This is simply that sometimes Jose feels the young man is the best player available to occupy one of the centre back roles. Kurt doesn't get the shirt because he is old, or young; because he's a record signing, or a free transfer. When he gets the nod it's because, in TSO's opinion, he is the best man available for that job, on that day. The same has been true for Nathan Ake on one occasion.

That, I think you and I would agree, is Jose's modus operandi. Selection on merit only and, in judging that merit, his is the only opinion that counts. Calling for young players to get special treatment is always going to be a vain pursuit with our boss. Youngsters may get dead minutes at the end of a game, or the end of the season, but when it comes to getting live minutes they simply have to make Jose believe they are the best. Zouma has done that, Christiansen, for example, has not.

Some people consider Jose's M.O. to be a fault but we've all seen Zouma and we've all seen Christiansen. Do any of us seriously doubt that one player looks ready and the other does not? I say again, with Jose, it's not about how old you are, it's about how convinced he is that you can help the team. If you want minutes don't just hold out your birth certificate and hope, make the boss believe.

[OhForAGreavsie 6,077]

Back more rigidly on topic:

It's great to see Boga on the bench for tonight's 19s game with Zenit but I'm disappointed that RLC is not involved. In one way it's good news because it suggests that he'll be on the bench at Wembley and that Jose is not willing to risk him tonight. On the other hand, I'd have thought he could do with some game time since I don't believe he has played at any level for several weeks.

Also, I really want to progress at least one more round in the EYL so I'd have been happier if we selected our top side available.

[Gilvorak 3,734]

Are people really still peddling this Premier League is difficult myth especially after the last 2 weeks? It's an average League that's gone downhill since the late 2000's.

Both La Liga and the Bundesliga are easily superior.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

Are people really still peddling this Premier League is difficult myth especially after the last 2 weeks? It's an average League that's gone downhill since the late 2000's.

Both La Liga and the Bundesliga are easily superior.

No it hasn't its actually gotten a lot stiffer. Gruelling Christmas period after a World Cup year is what we're seeing. The style of play isn't the greatest but it gives every team a chance to compete.

Don't look to Europe and draw conclusions about the prem. When everybody else is off bathing in the sun, the English clubs are enduring the most exhausting portion of football imaginable. I don't know why this is so often overlooked

There is no midseason recharge its go and go harder when your knackered and then go again.

[Gilvorak 3,734]

No it hasn't its actually gotten a lot stiffer. Gruelling Christmas period after a World Cup year is what we're seeing. The style of play isn't the greatest but it gives every team a chance to compete.

Don't look to Europe and draw conclusions about the prem. When everybody else is off bathing in the sun, the English clubs are enduring the most exhausting portion of football imaginable. I don't know why this is so often overlooked

There is no midseason recharge its go and go harder when your knackered and then go again.

All I hear are excuses.

It's an average League now. Not only has the quality worsened with pretty much every team but tactically it's far worse than it was during that era.