We as Fans Must be More Patient with the Club's Youth Development

[Superblue 6,370]

For the past couple of seasons the club have been slowly and quietly rebuilding the squad, and this looks like continuing this summer on the back of our newly acquired tag of European Champions. It has already attracted one of the best young talents in world football in Eden Hazard to join us, and if reports are to be believed Hulk, a central midfielder and a right back are all high on the list of targets this summer.

However one thing that I continue hearing a lot from Chelsea fans is that they would rather see youth given a chance, even if it is as backup to a first teamer. I am completely for the club bringing players through the academy to become members of the first team squad, however we as fans have to appreciate the difficulty for the club in bridging the gap between academy/reserve football and the first team. This is why the club must continue to perservere with the loan system.

Now there are no guarantees with a loan. It is out of the club's control if a player is going to get games, case in point Josh McEachran at Swansea. However loan spells have also been a proving ground for many players to bridge the gap. Looking at a number of young players that United have pinned their hopes on as regular first teamers for the future have all come back to the club from successful loan spells - Wellbeck at Sunderland, Evans at Sunderland, Cleverley at Wigan. Even a player who everybody knew was destined for stardom in Jack Wilshere cut his cloth for a season at Bolton before becoming a fully fledged first teamer at Arsenal. And Chelsea are also no strangers, having taken advantage of Danny Sturridge's successful spell at Bolton.

Getting game time for me is the most critical stage of a player's development at the age of 19-21. The basic technical ability of young players should already be there, but key mental attributes are not. Taking an example from Chelsea would be Oriol Romeu. A lot of Chelsea fans are making a point that we do not need to buy a new central midfielder and would rather Romeu be given a more prominent role next season. Now for me, Romeu has the makings of becoming an excellent defensive midfielder. He has a dominating presence at such a young age, and his composure on the ball and passing ability is already at a high standard. However there are areas of his game which are of a weakness. The biggest, given he is a defensive minded midfielder, is his positioning. In a three man midfield this isn't quite as evident, but it is even more important in a two man midfield. If due to injuries and a lack of strengthening in the summer are left with playing Romeu in some of the big games, our defence could be left woefully exposed. So how does he improve his positioning?

Playing games. Unfortunately something Chelsea cannot provide him with enough of. He will only improve those mental attributes through gaining experience playing against top players in matches. I would prefer to see Romeu loaned out to a lower table Premiership club this coming season. He should get much more game time than he will playing at Chelsea. Also considering two of our central midfielders turn 30 this season in Raul Meireles and Michael Essien (and question marks over the future of both) and the club have to plan over the next couple of seasons for a future without Frank Lampard and you can see why it is vitally important that Chelsea have Romeu primed for a first team spot over the next couple of seasons. Now again I come back to the point raised that a loan spell doesn't always work, but in a way that can also show the character and determination of a player. The club also must take great care in where they are agreeing to loan players out to.

Another contentious view is that the club should not buy a new right back and instead have Sam Hutchinson and Todd Kane as direct backups to Ivanovic. Now under normal circumstances I wouldn't be against Hutchinson being a direct backup, but there are still huge question marks over his fitness. If Ivanovic were to pick up a long term injury, and Hutchinson cannot cope with the workload of playing games on such a regular basis are we seriously saying that we would be comfortable playing Todd Kane week in week out against top class opposition? I certainly am not. He has promising potential but is nowhere near the finished article. I can understand concerns that buying a young full back means it could stifle the chances of these players but football comes in cycles and players come and go. Opportunities will develop (just ask Ryan Bertrand) but the club have to make sure the young players are ready when those opportunities to come about.

The biggest problem I feel with supporters views is that if a player hasn't made it into the first team in their teens then they never will. This couldn't be further from the truth. A player must be extraordinary special to be playing regularly at such a young age for a top team. (I'm talking in the bracket of Messi, Rooney) The top teams challenging for every trophy cannot afford to risk rookies when every game carries so much importance and significance. That is why players like McEachran and Romeu cannot be risked when they are too raw and inexperienced. They could both benefit from at least a season, if not two of regular first team football to mature and develop as players and men. By then they will both be in their early twenties. Is this too old?

We only have to look at the two players who have forced their way into the first team squad this season - Danny Sturridge and Ryan Bertrand. Both players turn 23 at the beginning of next season, but can both now be fully trusted to 'do a job' when called upon for the first team and are very much part of the squad pushing for starting berths. Both have gained vital experience in loan spells away from the club, of which has given them the platform with which to get where they are now.

So to those whom are worried that a summer spending spree could hinder the development of our young players, I say BE PATIENT. The club has a vast number of players who are capable of one day becoming a first team squad member, but at the moment none are yet ready to bridge that gap.

[Igi26 346]

Players who are patient to stay at club are ones who are most determined in club. They are quiet, hardworking and are waiting for one chance to prove in team.

Ryan Bertrand is best example fot that. He is here long time and he waited for his chance. Then he started in Champions League and played out of his position brilliant. That is DETERMINATION.

[Superblue 6,370]

Players who are patient to stay at club are ones who are most determined in club. They are quiet, hardworking and are waiting for one chance to prove in team.

Ryan Bertrand is best example fot that. He is here long time and he waited for his chance. Then he started in Champions League and played out of his position brilliant. That is DETERMINATION.

And the knock on effect this creates is the player now has vital big game experience (there is no bigger game apart from perhaps the world cup final), and the confidence in the player from the club and the fans grows.

But the important aspect is that Bertrand has played over 100 first team games and it is this experience that has helped him mature and develop to get him where he is today. He isn't likely to be first choice LB until he's 25. But he still has at least 6 or 7 years at the top level and it would be playing for one of the world's best teams. This is as opposed to leaving us at an early age and only managing to get upto a sub standard level that never realises their potential...somewhere like Liverpool

[themightyblue 443]

I definitely agree with the sentiment of the article, although don't agree with the bit about Romeu as he'll get plenty of games here and is actually ready. However, the thing i always say is that if a player is good enough, then they'll breakthrough to the first team. Josh for example WILL be an absolute god of a player, but the way some fans seem to overrate him is quite funny at times. These players are only around 19 and have so much time on there hands to develop, but the most important thing for them at that age is game time and without that they won't develop. There time in Chelsea colours will come, but like you say some fans just need to be patient and trust the club

[Duppy Conqueror 1,494]

i`m probably one of the most patient people around but i do feel that we as fans sometimes are way too quick to write off youngsters as not being ready. they go on loan somewhere which doesn't fit very well and that`s it they done now,move onto next young talent flavour of the month. they didn't succeed at lesser team (in a short time) they are not Chelsea standard,never will be etc...

we have become spoilt fat cats but i still remember the feeling when we were on the brink (atleast twice during my lifetime) of going into extinction. and maybe that`s why although i don't mind us spending to get good quality in,when we are talking about bringing players in that we don't really need or that aren't that much better than our youth,then yeah i`m against that.

we shouldn't rely too much on youth but the door should atleast be left open all the time for them ready for when they are.

it`s like not one youth player should even be given a look without a couple of loans under their belt. yes it worked out with Bertrand but for that we could balance it out with Jack Cork,proved himself time after time,got him jack shit. he deserved a chance as much as Bertrand did but was buried under the mountain of veteran midfielders we have/had at the club. and when we on the subject of waiting for players to mature to the mental side of being at a big club i can think of several veterans in recent times who have been the ones who lacked maturity,some of them being ones who we would class amongst our best players of all time. we cut the veterans who should know better a lot of slack but often give very little to our young players.

some loans are worth doing and pay off but it seems like we throw the loan carpet over every single one of them rather than treating each player as individuals.

we also pay too much attention to a players physical size rather than the size of their football brains...players of all sizes can make it in any league if they are smart enough.

ideally i think we should have a young fringe player in every group of positions. e.g a young defender,a young midfielder and a young striker...we always have the talented prospects at the positions and although they won't play every week during a 60 plus game season that seems our regular quota these days there`s time when we can gradually blood them in..i`d rather see some youngsters get just say 10 games a season than 40 at Wycombe. it`s a better experience for them in preparation for what we should all want from them,to one day actually becoming long term solutions for us in the Premiership. some of our younsters were good enough to play in the lower leagues when they were still in school but after being trained and training with high standard of coaches and players off they are shipped to some lower standard of football and sometimes it can bring their level of play down. teams who loan out our youngsters aren't interested in the long term development of these youth players. they just flog them like workhorses and use them to get what`s best for their own club..they may loan a creative midfield prospect off us but fook that they need him to play somewhere else,off he goes and then comes back needing to be fixed of his bad habits learnt at lower level club.

i`m not against all loans atall..tho if i had to choose between loaning every young player out or developing them entirely ourselves,i`d actually choose the latter. when we do buy players in we should atleast if we believe in our youth to atleast someday make it. buy veteran players who can bridge the gap..we have been fortunate lately with our young signings.but sometimes those signings have pretty much killed off the chances of our youth ever making it with us because with the veterans they can see a time when they will have to retire. with Hazard for example...that`s it.position not available for probably another 10-12 years. i love that particular signing but i`m just using him as an example due to age.

[Justin_3d 1,140]

Maybe we should get a coach that plays a lot of youth like Bielsa!

[royg 96]

I believe a coach like Bielsa would like to have a total control of footballing matters of the club such as youth, senior and recruitment which is not the Chelsea way. But I would like to have a system like that in CFC in the future.

[MarkyC 3]

we have alot of talented young players here, they need to be intigrated into the side slowly, but at the same time not treating them with kid gloves, if you bring a kid on when you're 4-0 up at home to wolves with 2 minutes to go, it may be minutes for him but im not sure how much he would gain from that, however if he was to get a start in that game? or brought on at 45 / 60 mins i think he would gain much more experience wise

[We Hate Scouse 10,286]

we have alot of talented young players here, they need to be intigrated into the side slowly, but at the same time not treating them with kid gloves, if you bring a kid on when you're 4-0 up at home to wolves with 2 minutes to go, it may be minutes for him but im not sure how much he would gain from that, however if he was to get a start in that game? or brought on at 45 / 60 mins i think he would gain much more experience wise

Completely off topic but...............I didn't expect to see anyone else from Worcester Park on here! Welcome, stick around

[Kojo 4,676]

No, patients is too much at the moment, we should at least wait till they are 23 then get them in the first team squad.

But if they dont score on there debut then sell them to hamburg.

[Ollie 4,400]

To be honest, Josh, Piazon, Feruz etc will still be at the club approaching their 30's saying "Can i play yet boss" ... "NO! Loan to Shrewsbury!" .. " k boss."

[English Freak 456]

We should be patient with our club's youth development.

I think loaning our youngsters to more appropriate clubs would be the first step in the right direction.

We've seen youngsters like Dávila, Delac, Lalkovic, Van Aanholt, McEachran..etc...all go on pointless loan spells which has done nothing but stall their development.

[andysmithliverpool 0]

I actually believed that if a player will stay longer at a club, as his talent improved, the club also grows with him. It may not be a fast development but we sure will see better development.