FA Youth Cup 2013

[Muzchap 8,966]

  On 13/05/2013 at 22:48, JDY said:

Got back from the game about an hour ago. Obviously these are still young lads so I won't be too critical, but I really thought we could've won if we had just taken half of our chances (And in the first leg).

Nditi had an absolute horror show at LB, and was targeted by Norwich's pacey forward every time on the counter. Aina looked very good on the ball, great pace and delivered some decent crosses, especially in the first half. Boga looks very good but he drifts in and out of the game too much, needs to get more involved. If I was to pick one who will have the best future it would be the centre half Christensen. Obviously we conceded 3 goals but every time I've seen him he looks quality, fantastic on the ball, and can read the game well. Let down by the Cahill-esque Davey next to him.

At the end of the day when we did make chances we didn't take them, and Norwich were well organised and too tough to break down. Generally at youth level organisation and physicality trumps free flowing football. We have the better individuals but they are the better team. On a final note, their fans were fantastic. They brought down more than you'd usually get in league matches.

Credit for getting down there and providing a good write up

[The only place to be 11,313]

First things first, fair play to the Norwich City supporters who made their way down in such impressive numbers on a Monday night. Also our fans deserve some credit, although it was a bit of a casual affair as these things usually are.

Onto the match and it was a disappointing result and also a disappointing performance from the team. At times it was just like watching the first team with good build-up play, plenty of possession but no incisiveness to create that clear chance. When we did have them, hesitancy and lack of quality meant they weren't taken. Whereas the 'double pivot' has been the issue for the first team, in the youth team it was in the three attacking midfielders lack of ability to do something that was really our downfall. Boga took his goal well and looked superb on the ball but Swift was fairly anonymous in a wider role, whilst Kiwomya had no space to take advantage of as he has done previously.

The lack of width was criminal at times and that's really something the coaches have to look at. The problem is that Norwich came to defend and try to hit us on the counter, and their gameplan went perfectly. Our's stagnated and there was no attempt to change it, so we ended up looking like Barcelona in their first-leg against Milan - short on a Plan B.

If you want bright spots then they were as evident as they've been all season. Loftus-Cheek is a great talent, tremendously strong and very comfortable on the ball. He was actually required to run with the ball more than he would normally have to and he looked at times like a young Yaya Toure doing so. Clearly he needs to work on his goal threat from deep positions though, and he can get a bit casual at times but he's got an exciting future.

Baker continued to work his bollocks off for the team. He's also got this ability to take set-pieces with either foot which is pretty unusual, but he's also got some aggression issues he needs to work on. He got sent-off against Fulham recently for losing it a little and putting in a bad tackle and looked a little close to the edge at the end of the game last night.

Boga impressed in a more central, free role than he's had in some games and took his goal superbly. It was one of the few moments he had real space in the game and he didn't disappoint, unfortunately those moments became fewer and further between as the match wore on. His ability on the ball is without doubt though and despite being only 16 he might be in the frame for something more next season.

Christensen filled Ake's boots well and is a calm, composed presence who (as with most of our players) is eminently comfortable in possession but also reads the game and reacts well without the ball. Davey on the other hand is like John Terry without John Terry's defensive instincts. Hate to be harsh on the kid but whilst he has his moments I don't think you'll ever feel that comfortable with him in the middle.

The keeper.....nice distribution. Obviously it was a tough night because we were pushing forward but I have serious doubts about whether this kid could make it as a pro. I'd love to be proven wrong in years to come, but the reflexes aren't there, he's not really a commanding presence for his defenders and he's slow off the line.

Aina has a lot of promise. Again great physical tools and good on the ball too, he's the archetypal modern full-back with a big engine who provides width in attack but also gets back and defends too. Nditi was on the other side and was largely poor. Also should have seen red for a stamp on a Norwich player's leg and was getting booed from that moment until he was taken off for Wright.

Feruz....last night my thoughts were broadly 'well done, you've got the shirt, you've got the contract and you're getting paid well - you clearly think you've arrived' but I think that's a little unfair but to say he's gone off the boil in the games I've seen him play recently is an understatement. Yes it's tough when teams play deep and limit your ability to get behind them, but he still had two chances that you'd expect him at the very least to get on-target. What I've loved about him is how automatic he seems to be - you feed the ball to him and he hits the corners, either scoring or forcing a save. Maybe it's tiredness at the end of the season but he's really got to get back on track because his development is starting to worry some people.

So a disappointing night where we lost the cup....but part of me is left wondering what the fuck Norwich were doing.

Youth team football is all about developing youngsters to maximise their potential and ultimately create professional footballers. If you're a coach at this level, trophies are great but your JOB is to take this kids who have talent and get them to a point where they can earn a wage in this profession. Whatever you say about our performance, you can be proud that these kids all look great with the ball at their feet. Last night was another night where they got to improve their skills by PLAYING FOOTBALL.

This isn't the final of the Champions League where professional footballers are trying to win the biggest trophy in club football. Backs to the wall, parking the bus tactics at this level are in my opinion pathetic. When we lost to Villa in the NextGen, they played football and you could pick out 2-3 players from their team who could seriously make the step-up as others have done at that club. What we saw from Norwich last night was a team built in their first-team's image, accepting their role as underdog. Where's the ambition? If you're teaching these kids to play like this when they're in the factory of your club, then what the fuck are you expecting from them when you stick them in the first team? More of the same? Treading water?

Yes we wanted to win last night, but we wanted to do it the right way. Though I've criticised the tactics, the coaching staff still had in mind that this was a youth game where players' development is integral to everything we do, so players like Musonda and Nditi did get gametime because they need it for their own progression as players. I don't want to sound holier than thou in regards to what Norwich are doing, but they have a pastoral duty to their kids to make sure that last night wasn't the highlight of their careers, but just one more step on the road to being able to provide for themselves and their families for the next twenty years.

So back to Chelsea and like I've mentioned a few times, a disappointing and frustrating night but taken as a whole season it's been a very promising one that has suffered a little from players going off on loans and the general malaise that has engulfed the club at times. But two finals and some fantastic wins is a good showing, and the performance of some players means that the academy is doing it's job and making kids ready for first-team football.

The most heartening thing to take from last night?

Nathan Ake was unavailable for selection because he's needed for Wednesday's Europa League Final.

Nat Chalobah was unavailable because he's become one of Watford's most important players.