Archive for May, 2011

Three Chelsea Youth Players That May Leave This Summer

Every year fans get excited as they try to figure out if any of the latest crop of academy players will graduate to the first team.

In recent years there have been a few false dawns but no breakthrough players to establish themselves as first team regulars.

Unfortunately it is now the time of year where those who have not quite made the great move onto pastures new either by choice or through the expiration of their contract.

Here are some of the youth players that have left or may be about to leave.

Fabio Borini

Borini’s stock is high at the moment having scored 6 times in 12 games since signing for Swansea on loan in January.

At Chelsea Borini has flirted with the first team but never in my opinion shown any likelihood to break through at Chelsea lacking in the strength to break through into the first team a more talented Franco Di Santo.

After four years at the club there has been some confusion as to whether the Italian has refused to sign a new contract or if one has not been offered.

Either way it appears that the striker will be leaving the club in the next couple of weeks.

Likelihood to Leave: 10/10

Michael Mancienne

At one point the defender/defensive midfielder was tipped to be the replacement for John Terry with a cultured defensive air.

With just five first team appearances in six years successive Chelsea managers felt that t hey could not put their faith in Mancienne as a backup.

This lead to five successive loan spells at QPR and Wolves but Mancienne was still unable to become first choice at Wolves sealing the fate of a player unlikely to survive the summer as he seeks first team football.

Michael Woods

It has been announced that the ginger haired midfielder signed from Leeds for a king’s ransom along with Tom Taiwo will be leaving the club.

The midfielder has had a frustrating youth career with injury preventing him from gaining any headway in pursuit of a first team place.

Undoubtably talented we may say Michael Woods in the Premier League in the future and all at eChelseaFC wish him luck.

Players already released

Bobby Devine

Anton Rodgers

Ben Sampayo

Players Who Could Leave Chelsea This Summer

Without a manager and with the spine of the side that Mourinho built reaching retirement age Chelsea enter the summer transfer window in a period of transition.

Whilst the media will link the club with a host of expensive players of stature such as Neymar, Kaka and co, we may see a number of established CFC players going in the opposite direction this summer.

The only question is who?

eChelseaFC looks at the players that could leave Stamford Bridge this summer

Soloman Kalou

Arriving from Feyenoord in2006 aged just twenty; Kalou has been on the periphery of the Chelsea squad under four different Chelsea managers without becoming a first choice player.

The Ivory Coast winger/striker holds the records for most substitute appearances in a Chelsea shirt but has frustrated fans with inconsistency and inaccurate shooting.

Likelihood to Leave: 6/10

Potential Club: Arsenal

Didier Drogba

Hardly a summer goes by without the future of our top striker being linked with a move away. With the arrival of Fernando Torres and the Ivorian now 33 may feel that his future lies away from Stamford Bridge.

Likelihood to Leave:  7/10

Potential Club: Olympic Marseille

Paulo Ferreria

After seven years at the club it would appear that the loyal Portuguese right back has come to the end of his time at Stamford Bridge with the club seeking a quicker and more attack minded defender.

Likelihood to Leave: 9/10

Potential club: unknown

Florent Malouda

After a slow start to his Chelsea career, Malouda finally found his feet at the club to become a key part of the double winning side in 2009/2010.

There has been some talk of his future with his position unlikely to be secure until a new manager is appointed and a style of play defined.

Likelihood to leave: 5/10

Potential club: Lyon

Chelsea Legends Dazzle to Win Football40 Competition

Chelsea fans at the inaugural Football40 tournament at Craven Cottage were treated to vintage performances from a clutch of retired legends.

The Football40 format of 40 minute matches with rolling substitutions allowing some of the older players to catch a breather.
With a squad that included players from three decades there were heroes for various generations on view with some more distinguished than others.

Managed by Tommy Doherty the team dominated a semi final against Fulham romping to a 5-1 victory in the semi finals that included a Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink hat-trick and a goal from Scottish winger Pat Nevin.

In the final against Tottenham the 11,000 fans were treated to some amazing goals as Chelsea ran out 4-0 winners.

This included a magical free kick from Gianfranco Zola that rolled back the years and a rifled drive from Jody Morris outside the area.

Today produced a win for the Chelsea legends and a quality day out, fantastic way to reminisce about the Chelsea players of yesteryear.

The legends playing for Chelsea included:

1980’s

• Pat Nevin
• Kerry Dixon
• Clive Walker

1990’s
• Ken Monkou
• Dave Beasant
• Frank Sinclair
• Andy Myers
• Gareth Hall
• Michael Duberry
• Danny Granville

2000’s
• Gianfranco Zola
• Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
• Jody Morris
• Bernard Lambourde
• Tore Andre Flo

Josh McEachran eChelseaFC Young Player Of The Year

One of the most exciting developments of last season was the emergence of Josh McEachran who broke into the first team set up at the tender age of seventeen.

Having joined Chelsea aged eight, McEachran progressed through the youth and reserve ranks ahead of his peers becoming an integral part of the FA Youth Cup and England U17 European Championship winning sides in 2010.

The central midfielder made his first steps towards the senior squad in pre-season starting games against Crystal Palace and Ajax and featuring against Hamburg.

This was followed by a first team debut against MSK Zilna in the Champions League in September, coming on as a second half substitute in a comfortable Chelsea victory.

The reverse fixture saw the midfielder make his full debut for the club as Carlo Ancelotti rotated his squad with qualification to the knockout stages already assured.

McEachran made his most memorable performance of the season in the Carling Cup coming off the bench to inspire a ten man Chelsea side to come back from a two goal deficit.

In this performance he controlled the game and it seem unjust that such a good performance was not rewarded with a Chelsea victory as the Blues conceded in injury time to lose 4-3.

In the FA Cup McEachran started against Ipswich and played a key part in a Chelsea performance that rendered seven goals. .

Despite a number of substitute appearances and starts in the FA Cup and Champions League group stages it was not until the penultimate game of the season that he made his full league debut against Newcastle at Stamford Bridge.

Throughout the season McEachran was an almost permanent fixture on the bench and although actual appearances were sporadic he had become a fans favourite.

His squad number no.46 started to appear on the backs of fans wearing replica shirts and he became the star of his own terrace chant which poked fun at his age and youthful appearance.

“Josh McEachrans’ having a party, bring your Vodka and your Charlie”

His success was also recognised by England under 21’s manager Stuart Pearce who called him into his squad for November’s fixture against Germany giving his debut as a late substitute.

This year has been a landmark year for the investment made in the youth set up at the club; McEachran represents the first academy player since Carlton Cole to feature regularly for the first team.

This gives fans hope that we will see more young players pushing for a place in the senior side in previous years making McEachran the only realistic candidate for ‘eChelseaFC Young Player of the Year’.

Ron Gourlay – The Enemy Within Chelsea by Gate 17

The sacking of Carlo Ancelotti has caused alot of mixed emotions from Chelsea fans with lots of opinions being shared across cyberspace.

I have just seen a video on a common parody theme from the boys at Gate 17 that puts the focus on Ron Gourlay and the way the club has been run in the last couple of years.

Many fans are unhappy with what is going on at the club and I think this video highlights why in comical but at the same time serious way.

Many thanks to Mark Worral and Gate 17 for the video