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One of the highlights of last season was the emergence of Jeffery Bruma as a star in the making.

The 18 year old defender has had an amazing 12 months which has included his first team and international debuts as well as an FA Youth Cup winners medal.

It was during the FA Youth Cup run that Chelsea fans had the best opportunity to see his talent as he turned in performances that showed his maturity and ability all along the back line in a victorious cup run.

Able to play at right back and centre back, the new squad rules and his versatility mean that he is likely to add to his 3 first team appearances earned so far in the coming season.

Combining first team responsibilities with his youth team duties, it is hard to believe that the Dutchman is still only 18 and with time and talent on his side.

As the pressure begins to mount on the academy to produce the £100,000 signing from Feyenoord looks as if he is about to repay the clubs investment.

Here are a few videos showcasing the Dutchman’s talent, apologies for any dodgy music.

Ryan Bertrand may have Championship experience but he was humbled along with the other members of the team against Wycombe

Chelsea’s Reserves slumped to their second consecutive heavy defeat during pre-season, in a 5-1 thumping that will deflate the players, fans and management alike.

A blend of raw reserves and a splattering of youth with first team experience took on an experienced Wycombe side.

Chelsea XI:

Walker, B.Clifford, Ince, Deen-Conteh, Bertrand, Cork, C.Clifford, Kaby (Prosenik 59), Lalkovic (Philliskirk 59), Sinclair, Di Santo

It all started well for Chelsea who took the lead through Kaby after just 13 minutes, as he turned in the rebound from a powerful Scott Sinclair shot. However Chelsea went in behind at half time after goals from Ben Strevens and Scott Rendell. 

The result was framed in the final quarter of the game, American Jon Paul Pittman took the game by the scruff of the neck with a hat trick that took just 5 second half minutes.

The score was emphatic and gave little to cheer about on first glance, the only consolation being the goal from Kaby and the fact that a late show from Wycombe did not reflect the overall balance of the match,which was closer than the scoreline suggests.

This is a demoralising loss and there is no doubt improvement is needed, but the performances will come, stick with it Chelsea fans.

Revolution: a sudden, complete or marked change in something

In what have been the most successful seven seasons in the history of Chelsea Football Club, Roman Abramovich has turned the Blues from a relatively big English team to a worldwide franchise competing for Football’s top prizes every year. Based on the definition above, the takeover of Chelsea was certainly a definitive revolution.

Three Premier League titles, three FA Cup triumphs and two League Cups have been the result of the huge investment pumped into the West London club by the Russian billionaire who has become synonymous with Chelsea.

There can be no doubt that without him the club would still be trailing the wake of Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool. He has made Chelsea one of the biggest clubs in Europe and has done so not only by investment in playing staff.

His roubles have touched everything at the club, from the hand driers in the stadium toilets to the wonderful training facilities at Cobham. Yes, the Russian who made Chelsea his plaything in 2003 has certainly laid the foundations for success.

Of course, the players who have put on the Blue shirts at Stamford Bridge each week have been the integral part of the glory. Without Drogbas and Carvalhos the Chelsea side would never be able to compete for major silverware each season, and this is only possible because of the Russian’s cash.

The current Blues squad has its problems. A lack of creativity and the need for another back up goalkeeper are not the only issues facing Chelsea in 2010. The fact is, the team must start to evolve into an Abramovich ‘second generation’ side, as the players who have been so effective for the Londoners in recent years are coming towards the end of their playing days.

Frank Lampard, John Terry, Didier Drogba and Ashley Cole are considered perhaps the spine of the Chelsea team, but all are heading towards the twilight of their careers. Terry and Cole have four years left at the top, but Lampard and Drogba are now 32 and cannot be expected to carry the side after next season. Without goals from them both Chelsea would not have won the league and cup last time out.

Evolution: a gradual change in something/ the gradual development of plants, animals, etc. over many years as they adapt to changes in their environment

Therefore there needs to be a change in SW6, a gradual development of a new squad, or one could say Evolution. Of course, this has already started with Michael Ballack and Juliano Belletti leaving the club this summer and Ricardo Carvalho having one season left at the most.

The signings which the chequebook will be opened for must be youthful and shrewd. There must also be a more active role in the first team for the youth players who have done so well at junior level, and promised so much when shown a glimpse of the first team.

Gael Kakuta, Michael Mancienne, Sam Huchinson, Jeffry Bruma and Fabio Borini could be the next batch of players whose names grace the replica shirts in the stands and in parks, but only if they have the opportunity to learn and grow. For the team to evolve there must be a gradual inclusion of these young players as the old guard are faded out. This is the only way that the word success can become as synonymous with Chelsea Football club as Abramovich has.

Players such as the Brazilians Ramires and Neymar would be fantastic for the future of the team, blending them into a new Chelsea, a second generation just as Ferguson and Wenger have done at United and Arsenal.

Chelsea have one of the best coaches in the game today, with an outstanding record. However, it may be the club’s driving ambition to win the Champions League which hampers the progress of Ancelotti. If he is given three years to rebuild this squad, there could be tremendous rewards for those who had the patience to allow him to do so.

The irony is, however, that it is the man who has taken Chelsea this far who may hinder the transitional phase which faces his club in its near future. Winning the Champions League has always been the dream for Abramovich, but some patience now and building a new squad properly will reap huge rewards in the long term.

On the other hand, impatience and sacking the coach for the failure to win the coveted prize instantly will only delay the day that the European Cup can be added to the ever growing list of Chelsea honours.

Nemanja Matic in action in the 3-1 defeat to Ajax

Yesterday a very young Chelsea side was beaten 3-1 by Ajax in a pre-season friendly, dominated by inexperienced youth players including  15 year old Nathaniel Chalobah, Chelsea were always likely to suffer against an experienced Ajax side.

Disapointingly there have been some people saying that today’s result shows that the younger players at Chelsea will not make the step up to the first team. However this is a premature conclusion and not a true reflection of how youth and pre-season works.

These two forms of football are similar that results are unimportant, pre-season games are about the development of fitness and sharpness, whereas youth football it is about individual performances and developing talent.

Obviously for some players the detractors will be right, not every young player on display will make it at the top of the game, and of those that do, they may not be ready for first team football. Games such as today are a key step in the development of our academy and the development of the players it nutures.

The experience of playing for the ‘first team’ and being in the limelight is vital experience that will help these players whatever happens throughout their career, so far Josh McEachran and others have shown touches of class and I hope that they will taken confidence in their elevated roles.

The main worry today however was the performance of Ross Turnbull who did little to suggest he is in a position to challenge Henrique Hilario as the number 2, to the injured Petr Cech.

Overall I would not read too much into this defeat, this is only the second game of pre-season and half the squad have not even returned following the World Cup. Chelsea have two more games to fine tune their performances before the Charity Shield and the start of the season.

Never fear, I am sure we will see the arrival of the first team cavalry as Chelsea venture onwards to Germany.

Friday July 23 will mark an epic day of football for me as the two teams I support will face off in a friendly game in Amsterdam.  I will be at the stadium amongst the Dutch fans,  although I will be cheering for the mighty blues.

Chelsea are expected to continue resting the players who were on World cup duty, it is likely that they will line with a starting XI similar to the that which faced Crystal Palace. However the most notable absentee is Petr  Cech who has injured the same calf that he injured against Inter Milan in the Champions League last season.

I expect the young players like Daniel Sturridge  and Scott Sinclair to shine, this is their moment to show their true quality, as Carlo Ancelotti will depend on them and a couple of experienced players like Michael Essien, John Obi Mikel and Alex.

Ajax, who are the Dutch equivalent of Barcelona, having bred the likes of Johan Cruijf, Dennis Bergkamp, and most recently Wesley Sneijder. They are a very strong side with Suleijmani expected to lead the attack with both Luis Suarez and Marko Pantelic expected to be rested after playing in the World cup.

Oleguer, Champions League winner with Barcelona, will be holding the line in defense as Assiati and Jan Vertonghen will be in the center of the field .

Two other notable absentees are Dutch shot stopper Maarten Steklenburg and the young and versatile Gergory van der Wiel.  Ajax will also depend on the youngsters and the fans will be looking for a tough game because most probably these young players are the future of Dutch football.

Ajax who finished second last season with 1 point behind the side of our former young Star Miroslav Stoch  Fc Twente with a wonderful 106 goals in 34 matches. Ajax will look to start their championship hunt campaign with a win over the English Champions

Rudi’s Prediction: a tough 2-0 win for the blues

Josh McEachran in Action for England U17's, he took his chance to shine today

 With the World Cup meaning that few of Chelsea’s experienced players were available for selection, the up and coming stars were given a chance to impress Carlo Ancelotti and the fans in the first pre-season friendly of the season.

The game had a typical pre-season tempo, with plenty of opportunity for players on both sides to pass the ball about and find their way into a game that in the end produced few clear cut chances.

Featuring a plethora of substitutions, Chelsea were able to secure victory through a classy piece of link up play on the edge of the area that included a nifty interchange between Franco Di Santo and Josh McEachran that allowed Michael Essien to slot home from 15 yards.

However the result was never the issue, the goalscoring return of Michael Essien is obviously going to grab many of the headlines, but there were many competent performances from the younger players on display.

This gives hope that maybe fewer new signings than expected are required to replace the departed vanguard of Belletti, Ballack and Joe Cole.

Player Selection and Performance Analysis

In goal there was little deviation as the three established goalkeepers were rotated so that each saw some action during the game. However in defence only Alex could be attributed as an experienced senior squad player, he was supported by Patrick Van Aarnholt, Jeffery Bruma and Ryan Bertrand all of whom displayed competence but were denied the chance to shine by the dominance of the Chelsea midfield.

The midfield was anchored by John Obi Mikel who was joined by Michael Essien and the developing talents of Nemanja Matic and Josh McEachran.

Apart from the assured return of Michael Essien it was senior team debutant Josh McEachran who stole the midfield show, looking assured, passing well creating chances and playing a key part in the Michael Essien goal.

Up front Daniel Sturridge looked lively with a clear desire to prove his worth to the management staff, Franco Di Santo did not have a bad game but did little to show that he should be challenging for a first team berth during the season.

As the game went on the substitutions came thick and fast, with 7 of last years reserve and youth teams getting a chance to impress.

The pick of these players was Scott Sinclair who after 3 years of bouncing around the Premiership and lower leagues on loan must feel that this season is his last chance to succeed as a Chelsea player. During his cameo he looked sharp and unafraid to take on defenders, it was this tenacity that should have won his side a penalty, with the referee erroneously deciding that during one mazy run he was tackled outside the penalty area, instead of the actual 2 yards inside the area where the incident took place.

Overall the game was hardly exhilarating, but that is not what such games are about, the players were given a chance to ease into the season, whilst many unknowns impressed during their first high profile appearance in front of the clubs global fan base.

Next up Ajax!