Honest Question: Why do we have a Youth system?

[Chelsea? 892]

Take a look at this list from wikipedia:

Graduates of Chelsea's academy and 'A' teams who won at least one full international cap. NB: Bold players are still playing for the club.

• Yves Ma-Kalambay
• Ryan Bertrand
• Peter Bonetti
• Sam Hutchinson
• Peter Brabrook
• Barry Bridges
• Carlton Cole
• Jimmy Greaves
• John Hollins
• Alan Hudson
• Graeme Le Saux
• Peter Osgood
• Ken Shellito
• Bobby Smith
• Bobby Tambling
• John Terry

• Terry Venables
• Ray Wilkins
• Mikael Forssell
• Robert Huth
• Nick Colgan
• Fabio Borini
• Ben Sahar
• Frank Sinclair
• Junior Mendes
• Mbark Boussoufa
• Jeffrey Bruma
• Patrick van Aanholt
• Franco Di Santo
• Neil Etheridge
• James Younghusband
• Phil Younghusband

• Dean Furman
• Craig Burley
• Warren Cummings
• Billy Dodds
• Liam Bridcutt
• Tommy Law
• Miroslav Stoch
• Muzzy Izzet
• Gökhan Töre
• Gerry Baker
• Nathan Blake
• Andrew Crofts
• Gareth Hall
• Andy King

A report from ecaeurope.com suggests the cost to run a youth is around 5mil a year. Chelsea's is probably higher, but with a below 1% success rate, why bother?

don't see Matic either

[Muzchap 8,966]

Ok - now go and add up the sale value of all of those players... That's why we have a youth system - to generate funds....

Plus we (as a club) have had insane amounts of managers with instant success demanded - hardly conducive for promoting youth talent...

Also the step-up from Youth to Senior is big...

I'm not that concerned with the way we are being run - but I would follow Arsenals method of playing the kids in the Capital One Cup - think that would help massively!

[Tomo 21,733]

And which one's are good enough to play for us that didn't? Probably Hutch and he was robbed by injuries.

The thing is youth promotion at the top teams is a complicated process, even Wenger is getting more cautious with it, and it simply works both ways. Players have to show the right attitude and application, McEachran for example would be playing right now if he had even half of Franks work ethic.

If RLC was genuinely better than all our other options mentally aswell as technically he would be playing it's that simple.

[The Rising Sun 710]

Money

[coolhead23 1,146]

Why do have a Youth System?

because everyone has one!

I second Muzchap ...

We need a manager who can believe in the youth system and atleast give them the run ... The transformation from the youth system to the first team is massive and the support of the management is very much needed else even the best potential can fade away.

[Reddish-Blue 2,347]

And which one's are good enough to play for us that didn't? Probably Hutch and he was robbed by injuries.

The thing is youth promotion at the top teams is a complicated process, even Wenger is getting more cautious with it, and it simply works both ways. Players have to show the right attitude and application, McEachran for example would be playing right now if he had even half of Franks work ethic.

If RLC was genuinely better than all our other options mentally aswell as technically he would be playing it's that simple.

I would say Miroslav Stoch was good enough to play for us as a squad winger.

[Tomo 21,733]

I would say Miroslav Stoch was good enough to play for us as a squad winger.

I thought so to for a while but now he doesn't even appear wanted by Fenebache (on loan at PAOK last season).

[zolayes 14,489]

just look at the list of English players and look at the Giants our Youth system produced years ago .

[Magic Lamps 11,653]

Does our youth system really make profit? I reckon we got more than 50 players on loan and they generate loan fees, but how does that compare to the big contracts offered to youth prospects and the fees paid for players like Piazon, Kalas etc. we would not buy youngsters that expensive if our plan wasn't to integrate them in our team some time. If so, we would not gamble that big and simply produce decent player with low funds and decent rewards. So I would disagree with comments saying it just generates profits.

[The only place to be 11,313]

Because there's absolutely no logical reason not to have one.

[LDN Blue 7,903]

We've had this debate so many times and it will continue to overshadow much of our success until we can begin to see the academy working. It's ridiculous how we've been unable to produce anyone since Abramovich upgraded facilities in the academy, embarrassing almost how Terry is was the last one to come through..

But hey, it's a problem with the kids.. right?

[Barbara 15,149]

We've had this debate so many times and it will continue to overshadow much of our success until we can begin to see the academy working. It's ridiculous how we've been unable to produce anyone since Abramovich upgraded facilities in the academy, embarrassing almost how Terry is was the last one to come through..

But hey, it's a problem with the kids.. right?

but upgrading the facilities shouldn't be a benefit? You almost sound like that is a problem or I misunderstood you.

If the kids are good and come with the right attitude, they may not have a place in our squad, but they could have a spot in other EPL teams and even that is rare...

Maybe is the kind of training, maybe people at Chelsea have bad eye for talent, or maybe the kids just aren't that great. Fact is investment was done, but something still seems off - maybe there isn't much dedication from the club anymore. I honestly don't know.

[cosmicway 1,323]

Tommy Langley also.

He was sure to become England striker but broke his leg.

Played a little for AEK Athens afterwards, in 1983 against Ziko's Udinese.

[lionsden 4,689]

And which one's are good enough to play for us that didn't? Probably Hutch and he was robbed by injuries.

The thing is youth promotion at the top teams is a complicated process, even Wenger is getting more cautious with it, and it simply works both ways. Players have to show the right attitude and application, McEachran for example would be playing right now if he had even half of Franks work ethic.

If RLC was genuinely better than all our other options mentally aswell as technically he would be playing it's that simple.

Is there a logical explanation for the huge gap between youth transitioning into the first team at the club in the 50's 60's, 70's,80's and today. The question has to be raised. did we produce more first team talent back then because the quality were superior, talent and attitude wise or because the transition was much more smoother and easier thanks to a different culture and mentality?

Ray wilkins would probably be on his 8th loan spell to Vitesse and overshadowed by an expensive but not necessarily better player/talent today. The bottomline is we are not doing enough to produce first team players from the academy. over-loaning (if such a word exists) is not the solution.

[OneMoSalah 8,778]

because we just want to buy all the young talents for a laugh...

[LDN Blue 7,903]

but upgrading the facilities shouldn't be a benefit? You almost sound like that is a problem or I misunderstood you.

If the kids are good and come with the right attitude, they may not have a place in our squad, but they could have a spot in other EPL teams and even that is rare...

Maybe is the kind of training, maybe people at Chelsea have bad eye for talent, or maybe the kids just aren't that great. Fact is investment was done, but something still seems off - maybe there isn't much dedication from the club anymore. I honestly don't know.

No, no. I'm saying that because we upgraded our facilities it's embarassing that we still can't produce any talent whatsoever.

About the right attitude etc. You can't tell me that for the last 10 years we haven't been able to produce an academy player because none of them have the right attitude?! Attitudes can be changed with the right coaching, we can't continue blaming the kids when they come to us barely an adult.

[Sidzeret 2,257]

Britains immigration laws prevent talented youngsters from outside Europe getting their break in this country.

I'm not saying bending this particular rule will make a huge difference but certainly will improve the quality of the youth system.

[cosmicway 1,323]

Big-wealthy clubs forced to rely on youths occured twice in Greek history.

Probably elsewhere too, but this was characteristic.

First in 1966, a huge internal scandal split Panathinaikos in half. As a result they played with many youths the next season. They did n't do so well early on, but from those youths their legendary champions cup finalist team of 1971, under Ferenc Pushkas, emerged,
Then in 1968-72, this time for all Greek teams. The transfer ban resulted in some great talents coming forward though.
It looks to me that things slow down at first but then gain momentum.