City v Stoke (Semi-final FA Youth cup 2nd leg)

[waspish]

http://www.thefa.com/competitions/youth-football/fa-youth-cup/fixtures
Monday 03/04/17 - 7:45pm KO

Cheers

 

[Alber Fenoll Espejo]

Matt Smith vs Stoke City

 

[blue b4 the moon]

Just for info Chelsea won the first leg V Spurs 2-1 and have the home advantage in the second so it's looking like City/Chelsea again.

 

[Xhavenjoe]

Chelsea 5 1 up on aggregate and looking to score loads more it's on itv4

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

some fo these chelsea players are absoloutley massive

 

[Mike N]

some fo these chelsea players are absoloutley massive

Thought that last year. It was like men against boys in the final.

 

[Xhavenjoe]

Final score 9 2 to Chelsea on aggregate. Could have been more.The Chelsea manager looked younger than most of the team. Goalkeeper was meaner looker than Conor Mc Gregor

 

[Metalartin]

I said the same last season Chelsea's academy is good it has good players but they have the same old school English recruitment policy... you have to ask how good these players will be when they can no longer rely on a physical advantage for their age group, they'll still be good but how much so if you take that away? We're the opposite of that putting players forward a year making sure they get these tests early on in their development, that seems the most logical way to ensure you are taking them as far as you can. They are having success with their strategy at Chelsea as far as trophies go and the like but the single biggest goal should be to produce top top players for the game and of course the club.

I like the way Pep thinks personally there is a right way to win, a right way to succeed... I know some of our own fans don't think that way they just want a win and don't care how it's done it seems but I think we are doing things right in so many ways as a club.

 

[citizens_1976]

ed francis has impressed me a lot. apparently he might be one of the 5 going on the pre season tour. what are peoples thoughts on him ?

Massive fan of Francis. Very good on the ball, lovely left foot, very composed, very intelligent, reads the game superbly. Isn't the tallest or most physically imposing of centre backs (which is where he has been playing for under 18s), but he always seems to be one step ahead of the opposing striker. Very mature footballer. One of the standout players for me.

He is comfortable playing left back and centre back so he suits pep's way of playing.

 

[citizens_1976]

I said the same last season Chelsea's academy is good it has good players but they have the same old school English recruitment policy... you have to ask how good these players will be when they can no longer rely on a physical advantage for their age group, they'll still be good but how much so if you take that away? We're the opposite of that putting players forward a year making sure they get these tests early on in their development, that seems the most logical way to ensure you are taking them as far as you can. They are having success with their strategy at Chelsea as far as trophies go and the like but the single biggest goal should be to produce top top players for the game and of course the club.

I like the way Pep thinks personally there is a right way to win, a right way to succeed... I know some of our own fans don't think that way they just want a win and don't care how it's done it seems but I think we are doing things right in so many ways as a club.

I agree with that to a certain extent, I think if you look at Chelsea's kids, they do seem a lot more physically imposing than other academies. They are built like men and not boys for 17 and 18. However, there are some players within that team who are technically very very good. Mason Mount is probably the standout for me in their side, Jacob Maddox also a very agile and tidy little footballer in the middle of the park and Juan Castillo on the wing for them looks really really dangerous and absolutely rapid.

Some of their players you can see rely mainly on their physical advantages, but there are 3 or 4 of them who are very technical little players. Its crazy to look at how accomplished the City and Chelsea academies are which are loaded with talent yet barely any of these prospects get a sniff of first team football.

Tammy Abraham is a perfect example, had he have been given a chance last season in the first team instead of Rashford getting his chance at Utd, who's to say that Abraham wouldn't have been on that plane to France for the Euros with the national side?

It really is about time City and Chelsea started to utilise their academies over the next few seasons or else we will never have solid foundations set in place for the next few decades.