UEFA Youth League

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Get in!

[Special Juan 27,429]

:blue scalf: :blue scalf: :blue scalf: :blue scalf:

[Johnny Kills 164]

That's a ridiculous turn from Musonda

[ulvhedin 507]

from twitter 'Zouma would have 4 by now.' lol

[Johnny Kills 164]

Sign me up for this kind of football man, I have to start watching the kids more often.. until they get loaned and sold.

[lionsden 4,689]

Colkett impresses me every time I watch him play. His vision, passing range and intelligence is off the charts. why he's so underrated, I will never know.

[iseah100 5,612]

They make it look so easy.

[Johnny Kills 164]

SOLANKE WITH A SITTERRRRR

[Yeboii 1,844]

SOLANKE WITH A SITTERRRRR

So annoying when that kind of thing happens.

[DYC. 7,542]

The youngsters could teach the seniors a thing or two.

[petre.ispirescu 4,928]

:blue scalf: :blue scalf: :blue scalf: :blue scalf: :blue scalf: :blue scalf: :blue scalf:

[Special Juan 27,429]

That's it.... all over, we win 3-2 :blue scalf: :blue scalf: :blue scalf:

[petre.ispirescu 4,928]

:blue scalf: :blue scalf: :blue scalf: :blue scalf: :blue scalf: :blue scalf: :blue scalf: :blue scalf: :blue scalf: :blue scalf:

[BlueLyon 9,359]

:blue scalf:

I hope at least one of them makes it in first team.

[KevinAshburner 1,270]

CONGRATULATIONS CHELSEA FC U19 - UEFA YOUTH LEAGUE CHAMPIONS 2014-2015.

[OhForAGreavsie 5,892]

Colkett impresses me every time I watch him play. His vision, passing range and intelligence is off the charts. why he's so underrated, I will never know.

I think not everyone has the chance to watch full 90 minute coverage of the development squads and Charlie's contributions are not always of the type which make the highlights. Everyone who does get the chance to see Colkett does seem to be impressed however. You and I certainly are, and we are far from being alone.

[edetarod 2,155]

that moment when you enjoy watching the youth more than the seniors

[OhForAGreavsie 5,892]

Congratulations to the lads. Thoroughly deserved win, they are the best U19 side in Europe.

Full praise for Shakhtar as well. Although we ultimately beat them more comfortably than the scoreline suggests, they are the best opponents I've seen us face in this competition. You can see why they reached the final and why they were unbeaten along the way. They were beaten today however and by the better side.

Izzy Brown was again very effective playing wide right and scored 2 of the goals in our 3-2 win. He was selected MoTM by the Eurosport commentators but I would give that honour to someone else. Jeremie Boga had a not atypically frustrating first half. Yes, he was instrumental in the first goal after seven minutes but there were many examples of dribbling into dead ends leading to lost opportunity and lost possession. Indeed it was from one of these that Shakhtar launched the counter attack which led to their equaliser.

Jeremie's second half lasted less than 25 minutes before he limped off with what feels like the 998th injury of his career. During those few minutes however, he was devastating. The Ukranian side couldn't live with him. He carried the ball at will, beat markers effortlessly, combined majestically with Charlie Musonda, sublimely set up two goals and generally ran the show. Even when he fell over, his opponents still couldn't dispossess him. It was a cameo but an irresistible one which made him my MoTM.

It seems to me that the key for Jeremie is to learn how to choose his moment, how not to hurt his team while he's waiting that moment to arrive. The key for his coaches will be to understand that he will turn the ball over sometimes and therefore to build a structure designed to cater for that possibility. Given such a platform, the young Frenchman has so much to offer.

There was, in my opinion, a third candidate for MoTM. Jake Clarke-Salter was outstanding at the back, particularly during the lengthy first-half spell when Shakhtar were well on top. Charlie Colkett was also impressive, as always.

RLC had a very quiet game. There seems to me to be more thinking needed about how best to use him. Playing Ruben in the pivot with Charlie was great for the side, but did not give him much opportunity to give of his best.

Lastly a wider point. Jeremie Boga's partnership with Charlie Musonda was great to watch. Live wire Charlie with eel-like changes of direction, quick feet and nice passing was brilliant. That Adi was able to play two AMs whose defensive contributions are not outstanding is instructive I think. Instructive for those who, bemusingly, pour scorn on Jose and the choices he makes. Adi is able to pair these two at U19 level because, at that level, they are too good for their opponents and so the side can win that way. Adi does not use them together in the U21s however.

Playing beautiful, losing football is even less fun than playing ugly winning football. Ask Arsenal fans. To play attractive winning football you need players who are good enough to do it. At U19 we have them, at first team level we do not. Yet. That is my opinion at any rate and is why I am delighted that we have the supreme pragmatist in charge. I much prefer Jose finding a way to win, over Carlo standing helpless on the sideline chanting, "Bad moment, bad moment" while his ill-equipped squad fails miserably to play with identity.