Friday 31 December 2010

FA Youth Cup 2010 winners!!! As good as youth can get? (A case for the current crop)

Firstly i will like to wish all the readers a happy New year!

2010 has been a great year for the Chelsea youth academy and a quick look back will easily remind most followers of the achievements of the expiring year. The apex of course being the winning of the FA Youth Cup in front of the Stamford bridge faithful on a glorious night in May.

Watching the highlights again tonight courtesy of a @chelseayouth twit, some questions pop into my mind.

When will we win the cup again?

Will we ever have such a balanced and talented youth squad again?

A closer look at the team sheet for the final shows that 8 of the 16 man team list for the game are eligible for the cup this year and if history repeating itself is also something to go by, the omen suggests that the cup will be coming back to the bridge. Prior to last years triumph, the cup was won in 1960 and successfully defended in 1961. The notion of history playing a part will be largely based on imagination unrestricted by reality. The reality is that the fixture already points at two difficult games in the early stages of the competition.

A factor that does have bearing on things is the quality of the 8 players left from that match day squad and how they fit in with the rest of the under 18 squad. Notable amongst the 8 is of course Josh McEachran but one will suspect that his inclusion in the cup squad is not guaranteed due to his regular involvement with an unready depleted first team. A look at the other seven players eligible from the previous match day squad is not disappointing. Billy Clifford was an integral part of the cup winning squad, Ben Sampayo now captain of the under 18s was only kept out of the squad by the aforementioned Clifford and able to join them are the experienced Rohan Ince, George Saville, Anton Rodgers, Aziz Deen Conteh and Milan Lalkovic.

A strong looking team begins to take shape and the fact that Daniel Mills Pappoe who was injured and missed the final last year is available for selection further reinforces that. European u17 winner Nathaniel Chalobah is also available as is the progressing Jamal Blackman and in form Todd Kane.

While this team looks potential good on paper, the balance is not quite the same as the squad last year and the most apparent area short of options is the striker's. With Prosenik injured, Lalkovic and Bobby Devyne are possible options but both have played most of their youth games on the wings as the flanking wingers of a 3 man attack and they don't possess the physical attributes that Marko Mitrovic put to such good use in the competition last year.

What the current squad lack in balance might however be made up for in versatility. While its not uncommon in youth football for players to be tried in a variety of positions, many of the players from the squad can play a variety of positions very well. Todd Kane is good at right back while also proving to be just as good if not better as a centre midfielder. Billy Clifford can play both positions as well but his energy and pace up and down the right flank in last year's competition was a joy to watch. Nathaniel Chalobah is a youth international centre back but he is equally adept at anchoring the midfield. Aziz deen Conteh is a quality left back in his age group but he was excellent when called upon to play as a centre back in the competition last year, his ability to attack also means he can play as a winger if needs be. Lalkovic's goal scoring ratio when he has played as a striker is not too bad and he seems to have the ability to get goals when he plays as a striker.

The decisions of who plays and where will be down to Dermot Drummy and might ultimately determine how far the team get. What is clear from a look at the squad on paper is that it will not be a case of a historical fluke should the boys retain the cup this year.

Stay tuned for the next installment; A case for the under 16s

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