The Blues kick started the campaign with a 0-2 win in the 3rd round at Sunderland, after a hotly contested game saw second half goals from Nathaniel Chalobah and midfielder George Saville put the home side out of the competition. However youth team manager Dermot Drummy believes Arsenal will offer a very different challenge to his side, whilst revealing his delight that Josh McEachran will return to the youth side to take part in the fixture.

“Sunderland was a very tactical game in the first half. It was a strange game, it wasn’t flowing, we know that, but we did feel we would have a chance with set plays” he told the clubs official website.

‘Josh McEachran will play, we’re very pleased with that. We feel it’s a very big fixture, there will be a big crowd there at Stamford Bridge and it’s a top Academy game so he’ll be playing.’

‘Arsenal will be an edgy game to start with because the boys are playing at Stamford Bridge in front of a big crowd. It will settle down into a free-flowing game though, I don’t expect it to be a negative game.’

McEachran’s development from the academy to the senior squad has ben nothing short of meteoric. The midfielder has featured for the Blues at first team level in the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League this term but will step back into the Under 18′s set up that bought himself and Chelsea a first Youth Cup title in 49 years last season.

A large crowd is expected at Stamford Bridge on Thursday to support the players and Drummy hopes that the incredible Chelsea fans support can be a motivating factor in this tough fixture and drive the team on to victory.

‘The fans support the youth team like they support the first team; it’s fantastic that the emotions are there.

‘I hope they get behind us on the night, we will be doing our upmost to beat Arsenal and they could be our 12th man.’

The impressive Todd Kane will be looking to build on his tally of 6 goals for the Academy this season and with competition for places in the first team hotting up, this fixture will be a chance for some of Chelsea’s young players to show manager Carlo Ancelotti what they can do. With Philipp Prosenik, Rohan Ince, Mesca, James Ashton, Reece Loudon and Amin Affane all missing through injury Drummy is short of options although promising 18 year old goalkeeper Matt Tomlinson and midfielder Anton Rodgers will be included in the squad. With the added boost of having McEachran available there is no doubt his presence will strengthen the Blues chances of progression.

Possible Chelsea Line Up
Chelsea (4-3-3): Jamal Blackman; Billy Clifford, Daniel Pappoe (c), Archange Nkumu, Aziz Deen-Conteh; Nathaniel Chalobah , Josh McEachran, George Saville; Todd Kane, Milan Lalkovic, Bobby Devyne.

Tickets for the FA Youth Cup are still available online and through the box office, Kingston Store and call centre, priced at £3 for adults and £1 for concessions. Tickets must be purchased before 4pm on the day of the game.

Cfcnet will be bringing you live coverage direct from Stamford Bridge during the game, follow us on our twitter @officialcfcnet and online on our forums.

This is particularly evident in the attack of the team. After finishing with a record number of Premier League goals last campaign, the Chelsea attack are at it again this season having scored 34 goals in thirteen games so far this season. Living up to these high-standards must be a daunting prospect for the younger attacking-options.

Kakuta and Sturridge have both had chances so far this season and have done reasonably well – especially in the Champions League where Sturridge has a goal and Kakuta has made an assist. The pressure on these two, though, has been cranked up a notch with the displays of, the reserve team captain, Fabio Borini. After scoring all 5 of Chelsea’s goals in a 5-4 win against West Bromwich Albion last week, Borini has now scored seven goals in three reserve appearances this season.

The Italian under-21, who joined Chelsea, after six years at Bologna, in the summer of 2007, is knocking on the first team door again following his recovery from a hernia operation. He impressed during his eight appearances (one start) last season, although he was not nearly as good as he has the ability to be. There is reason to suggest that his first chances may have come a little prematurely; he was only 18 and had only played one full season for the reserves since arriving from Italy.

Borini is still only 19 so shouldn’t feel rushed into a place in the first team squad, or even the bench, just yet. The best thing for Borini may just be to adapt to English football in the reserves and let his first team chances come slowly.

If he achieves his potential at Chelsea then the supporters are sure to experience a flurry of goals from the current number 45. Ignoring last season, where he was unable to score in eight first-team games, his scoring record has been prolific. In his first season he netted eleven times in ten games for the youth team before making eight appearances for the reserves and scoring another four goals. The next season he scored another five goals for the reserves – making him the joint-top goal scorer.

So, he’s got a fantastic scoring-record in the lower Chelsea teams and is absolutely deadly in the penalty-box. Though, as we know, when looking at the likes of Franco di Santo and Ben Sahar, this does not always equate to success at a big club like Chelsea.

Borini’s chances, though, are surely enhanced by, the current manager, Carlo Ancelotti – the manager who has brought the best out of young stars like Alexandre Pato. Ancelotti obviously rates Chelsea’s youthful attacking options, including the ‘very, very, very interesting’ Borini; Carlo has, since arriving, resisted buying any more-experienced attackers – despite the fact that Chelsea were facing a transfer ban and have faced a month without Drogba and Kalou (for the Africa Cup of Nations).

It may seem as though Borini has fallen down the pecking order, but it must be remembered that during his spree of matches Sturridge was not fully fit and Kakuta was banned and then injured. Since then Borini has been recovering from a hernia operation and his chances have been hindered. Now, though, seems an appropriate time, given the fact that he is in such good form for the reserves, for Borini, with a little more age, wisdom and experience, to start trying to make an impact in the first-team again.

If you have never seen these players on the pitch before, I hope to provide a fairly in depth description of the type of player that Uzbekistan are up against.

First of all we have Jack Cork, who, if I’m honest, is looking very promising indeed. Following loans to Coventry and Watford, Cork has had the opportunity of some Premier League action this season with an 11 appearance loan spell at Burnley which ended with a goal against Spurs on the final day of the season. On his Premier League debut against Aston Villa, he showed just why he was a Chelsea player with a good performance, grabbing an assist and being part of the build up to another goal. However the final result wasn’t so great with Burnley being on the wrong end of a 5-2 hammering. So what are Cork’s best qualities? Well, he is keen on the short passing technique and has a good first touch. He is also great in the tackle and winning the ball back.

His intelligence shows with his ability to retain the ball. I feel he is more effective as a midfielder rather than his alternate positions in defence. Cork is a player that would fit in at Arsenal well with his short passing and hopefully fitting in at Chelsea won’t be too challenging for the young Londoner.

Second up we have Ryan Bertrand, another local London boy. Bertrand is a player packed with bundles of pace. A player that is keen on getting forward with an attacking mind set. Formerly a left winger, he has been altered to a more defensive role at left back and in doing so, has been hailed and tipped as the next Ashley Cole. So far, Bertrand has only scored the one goal at senior level and that was with Reading on loan last season. However, we cannot look forward to seeing Ryan in a Chelsea shirt this year, as he has already been snapped up on loan with Nottingham Forest until the beginning of 2011. His performance against Uzbekistan could prove vital to his chances at Chelsea next year and he will be looking to heavily impress for his loan club too. Watch out for him for England!

Michael Mancienne next, perhaps one of our more well known youth team talents after his loan spells at Wolves gave him a name for himself. Mancienne’s determination showed greatly when Wolves faced Arsenal this season, and he put in an excellent performance which got some eyebrows raised. His accurate crunching tackles left some Arsenal players stranded at certain points throughout the game and he also made a pitch length track back to stop Arsenal from scoring at the end of the game. I am sure that this season will settle Mancienne’s future as he will be desperate to get some first team football and rightly so he deserves it. I believe that if he doesn’t get his wish, another club would be more than willing to splash out a fair bit for the 22 year old. But his versatility could be the key that Chelsea need this season after releasing Belletti. Mancienne has the ability to play in numerous positions from right back through the defence and into the midfield. For Mancienne’s sake I hope he gets some first team football this season. So, does he play like
anyone else in the world of football? Well, I would regard his defensive midfielder role, similar to that of Rosenberg’s Anthony Annan from Ghana.

Last but by no means least, Daniel Sturridge. Not from London but Birmingham, Sturridge arrived from Manchester City on a deal under the £10m range but as of yet has not found consistency in his Chelsea diet. One positive we can take from Sturridge’s season is that he found the net 4 times in his 4 appearances in the FA cup. With pace and skill along with a hard shot on goal at his disposal, we are sure to see a lot more from the England star this season. What has to be admired about the young forward is the composure he shows in front of goal. He is always keen to wait for the right time to shoot and doesn’t rush when faced with an opportunity. Equipped with pace, skill, composure and spirit, Daniel Sturridge has been the most seen at Chelsea out of the 4 Blue stars this season that have been called up for playing against Uzbekistan and with close similarities to Nicolas Anelka, it is no surprise why. He also netted a long range effort against Ajax in one of our pre-season friendlies. Alongside Andy Carroll and Danny Welbeck in the under 21s setup we have a highly
talented strike force that could develop into the future of English football.

Keep your eyes open for these four Chelsea talents on the 10th!

In Liechtenstein, Josh McEachran and Nathaniel Chalobah are with John Peacock’s England team as they seek to win the European Under-17 Championships. Many people’s favourites for the tournament, they started with a 3-1 win over the Czech Republic last week. After going 1-0 down, Everton’s Ross Barkley equalised, with McEachran adding a second and Arsenal’s Benik Afobe a third immediately afterwards. Josh was Man of the Match and was involved in everything England did going forwards, capping his performance with a sumptuous goal which you can watch here.

Chalobah, the youngest player in the tournament by almost 100 days (from Portugal’s Bruma, an apparent Chelsea target), played alongside Andre Wisdom at centre-back and was by far the more accomplished performer, doing his job well defensively and striding forward into midfield with confidence. The Blues pair both started again in Friday’s 1-0 win over Greece to seal a place in the Semi Finals, but were then given a rest on Monday night for the final group fixture with Turkey. A 2-1 win secured a final four match against France on Thursday, when both Josh and Nathaniel will be back in the team, looking to secure a maiden trophy at this level.

One age group up, meanwhile, and the Under-19 generations are competing in the Elite Round of qualifying to try and seal one of eight berths in France this July. One of the first teams to join the hosts was Croatia, who were backstopped by Matej Delač. Despite being a regular at Under-21 level and an occasional senior team squad member, Delač dropped down to give the Croatians a strong chance of making it through. Three wins from three sealed the deal, but Matej played just nineteen minutes of football. A nasty head injury inflicted whilst dealing with a free kick temporarily knocked him unconscious but despite suffering a mild concussion, he is none the worse for wear and should keep goal this summer ahead of potentially joining up with Chelsea in late August, after he turns 18.

Also heading to France are Italians Fabio Borini and Jacopo Sala, who featured in all three group matches against the Czech Republic, Northern Ireland, and Russia. Captain Borini, another regular Under-21 player, grabbed the second goal in a 2-0 win over the Czechs with a finish from the edge of the area, and helped as a Mattia Destro brace secured their qualification in a 3-2 win over Northern Ireland. The Azzurrini lost their last match 3-1 to Russia as our man scored another in consolation, whilst Sala’s three appearances saw one assist in outings where he was twice replaced at half time and once with a quarter of an hour remaining.

The trio will be joined by either Jacob Mellis or Conor Clifford, who are competing for the Group 3 winner’s spot along with the Ukraine and Bosnia. England and Ireland kicked things off in Kyiv earlier today with Noel Blake’s boys taking a 1-0 victory through Dean Parrett’s free kick. However, Ireland were comfortably the better side and will hope the remainder of this week’s fixtures take them through to the finals. Mellis had a decent game in direct competition with his team-mate, as the duo shared a number of tackles, and was replaced with fifteen minutes to go.

Looking forward to the Finals, with Holland and Portugal both also confirmed, there is a chance that Jeffrey Bruma and Kaby may increase club representation but with neither featuring on the road to France, it would be unlikely. Whoever goes, full coverage of their participation will be both here at CFCnet, and on Twitter @chelseayouth.

The competition, which has run since 2005, welcomed the Blues for the first time last spring but a sixth placed finish from the eight teams involved was hardly reason for celebration. This year, however, the tournament moved to Amsterdam’s famous Olympisch Stadium, home of the 1928 Olympic games and of international matches for Ajax until the mid 1990s, and in such a prestigious venue, Chelsea stepped up their game.

The draw grouped them with Guadalajara, Botafogo and AZ Alkmaar, the defending champions. South and Central American opposition had proved too much for the young Blues to handle in the Dallas Cup in March, but in friendlier conditions – although it was still rather hot – they got off to a good start on Saturday with a 2-0 win over the Mexican Chivas. A superb strike from Ben Gordon was added to in the second half by Daniel Philliskirk, with both goals laid on by the fit-again Adam Phillip. Uruguayan forward Jhon Pirez had a late goal disallowed, but it was just the start the team would have wanted heading into Sunday’s double-header of action.

Botafogo were first on the agenda and in a tight game, Chelsea turned to a trialist to get them over the line. Macedonian Aleksander Trajkovski beat Milton Pires for the winning goal in a match where Sam Walker was impressive, and Kaby cleared an effort off the line. Maximum points from their first two outings secured their place in the Semi Finals, but the clash with AZ would determine whether it would be the Londoners or the Alkmaar side who would top the group. As Chelsea took the chance to rotate the squad around, Niclas Heimann was beaten from 35 yards by Roland Alberg to leave them finishing second in the group, meaning they were to face Ajax in the first Semi Final on Monday.

Walker was back in goal for the big match and kept his third consecutive clean sheet in another tight game decided by a single goal. Billy Clifford’s effort, again created by Phillip, was enough to secure a place in the Final. Rohan Ince saw a late goal disallowed for offside whilst Walker was needed to keep out efforts from Lukoki and Dekker. In the second Semi Final, Sevilla prevailed over AZ after a thirteen-round penalty shootout, meaning a new champion was set to be crowned.

The Final was a tense and dramatic affair, shortened in length by ten minutes with Chelsea needing to catch a plane home (as Sevilla’s Semi Final had overrun). It finished 0-0 after chances for Phillip and Pirez were not taken, whilst Herbella nearly put one into his own net, seeing his blushes saved by the woodwork. Both sides were reduced to ten men in the closing stages as Giron and Billy Clifford had a spat, with the full-back receiving a straight red and the Spaniard his second yellow.

Headed to penalties, the first thirteen kicks were all scored (including a delightful chip from Milan Lalkovic) before Walker saved Herbella’s effort, leaving Chelsea as 7-6 victors and Copa Amsterdam Champions 2010.

More information will be added to this report as it arrives from Holland, but a huge congratulations to a group of players who have achieved wonderful success this season.

Over the last week there has been a three-part review of the campaign here on CFCnet, so it makes no sense to repeat that in some preamble before things get going. Therefore, we’ll dive straight in, and remain positive throughout. These are all personal choices – if people disagree, please feel free to weigh in with comments!

RESERVE TEAM PERFORMANCE OF THE SEASON – CHELSEA RES 4-1 WEST HAM RES
Early in the season the Blues were in some decent form, racking up 5-2 wins over Portsmouth and Ipswich, the latter in friendly action, but no better performance was seen than that of the 4-1 demolition of West Ham in mid-October. Against a Hammers side featuring full internationals in Manuel Da Costa and Luis Jimenez alongside and experienced hand in Nigel Quashie and young talents Nouble and Stanislas, a youthful Blues team including Alex turned on the style. The Brazilian opened the scoring with a free kick early in the match, and although it took until the 70th minute to add to the tally, Daniel Sturridge’s goal set off a late flurry which was combined with some silky football. A glorious counter-attack led to Fabio Borini scoring the first of a late brace, and even Nouble’s stoppage time goal was spectacular. Captain Jeffrey Bruma was outstanding at the heart of the defence and in a league which is often bereft of attacking excellence or notable action, this night was full of it.

RESERVE TEAM GOAL OF THE SEASON – GAEL KAKUTA VS WOLVES (H)
There are some fine goals to pick from here, including long-range efforts from Conor Clifford away to both Stoke and Wolves, and Borini’s aforementioned counter-attack finish at home to West Ham, but for sheer brilliance the award goes to Gael Kakuta’s strike on a cold January night at Cobham. Holding a 1-0 lead late in the game, Chelsea looked to seal the result and attacked through Jacob Mellis. The midfielder spread the play wide to Kakuta on the right, and with a quick drop of the shoulder he came inside and unleashed a missile of an effort into the top corner. Done with an incredible air of nonchalence, it encapsulated a player in a moment, and is a deserving winner.

RESERVE TEAM BEST NEWCOMER – CONOR CLIFFORD
A hard award to choose from because of the lack of actual transfers into the team, therefore meaning it goes to somebody who truly began to establish themselves in the team this season. It therefore goes to Irishman Clifford, who progressed from Under-18 football to become a regular in the side, playing in a number of different midfield roles and chipping in with some spectacular goals. His ascent coincided with his captaincy of the Youth Cup winning team, which featured a few reserve team players, but in playing over half of the reserve calendar, he has most certainly made the step up.

RESERVE TEAM MOST IMPROVED PLAYER – KENNY STRICKLAND
A hard award to consider when everybody has impressed at one time or another, but it’s perhaps fitting for Strickland to win this one. After being released by Manchester United last summer, he failed to earn a professional contract at another club and instead came to Chelsea for another year in the junior ranks, with the aim of developing sufficiently to prove his worth to another team. After excelling at Under-18 level he moved into Holland’s reserves, scoring his maiden goal at Aston Villa and generally looking comfortable in his role at centre-back. He is almost sure to move on, but undoubtedly with his pre-season aim having been met, and with interest.

RESERVE TEAM UNSUNG HERO – BEN GORDON
In what might turn out to be his last year at the club (something which remains unclear right now), Ben played eleven reserve fixtures this season, and put in a solid effort at both ends of the pitch in every single outing. Only Fabio Borini featured more for Steve Holland’s team, and following in the footsteps of some talented players in his position in recent years, he showed enough progress to earn a loan move to Tranmere Rovers late in the season. Rarely as flashy as some of his team-mates, he remained dependable and consistent all season, in a position key to the 4-4-2 diamond formation.

RESERVE TEAM PLAYER OF THE SEASON – DANIEL STURRIDGE
The votes have been counted and you have voted Daniel Sturridge as your Reserve Team Player of the Season. The new signing may have only played six times but often appeared to be a cut above those he was playing alongside, and his five goals were testament to that. The vote was incredibly close, with Nemanja Matic just two votes behind him. The Serbian would have been a deserving choice but Sturridge takes it.

Daniel Sturridge – 37.93%
Nemanja Matic – 35.63%
Fabio Borini – 21.84%
Rhys Taylor – 4.6%

Onto the youth team…

UNDER-18 PERFORMANCE OF THE SEASON – CHELSEA U18 4-0 BLACKBURN U18 (FAYC SEMI 2ND LEG)
This could have gone to any number of outings, particularly in the cup, but at Stamford Bridge in the Semi Final it was one way traffic almost from the off, and was the moment when the dream of winning the competition started to become very much a vivid possibility. Holding a 1-0 lead from the first leg, Dermot Drummy’s boys swamped their opponents, battering at the door and eventually breaking it down. Marko Mitrovic, Gokhan Tore and a brace from Jacopo Sala put the seal on a fantastic night in front of 3500 fans and signalled their intent to win the competition.

UNDER-18 GOAL OF THE SEASON – BILLY KNOTT VS CHARLTON (H)
In another year, Mitrovic’s stonking volley away to Coventry may have won this award. Or Conor Clifford’s cup-clinching blockbuster. Or Sala’s turn and hit against Birmingham. Even Knott’s right-footed effort away to Ipswich might have taken it, but instead his goal at home to Charlton walks it. Kicking off the second half, the Blues played the ball from left to right, and back again, piecing together thirteen passes involving eight of the ten outfield players. It all culminated in left-back Knott taking Mitrovic’s layoff and arrowing an unstoppable drive into the top corner, leaving Connor Gough helpless. Boring, boring Chelsea eh?

UNDER-18 BEST NEWCOMER – DANIEL MILLS PAPPOE
With Philipp Prosenik the only overseas newcomer, this award was always likely to come from the crop of first-years, but instead went to a player who was still a schoolboy for the season. Nonetheless, Daniel played the entire campaign, showing a great deal of development at centre-back after becoming rather dominant against junior opponents for three seasons in the Under-16s. He was a key part of the run to the Final but unfortunately missed out on the occasion with an injury, yet made his reserve team bow and grabbed his first goal at Stoke. A very fine season indeed.

UNDER-18 MOST IMPROVED PLAYER – KABY
It wasn’t that Kaby had a poor 2008/09, but quite simply he has reinvented himself this season in a way few imagined possible. The once dribble-happy attacking playmaker who was often on the periphery of games is now a heart-and-soul, dogged terrier of a midfielder with three red cards to his name this season. His temper may be as short as his stature but what he makes up for in size, he certainly makes up for in effort and talent. His first Under-18 goal came in superb fashion against Watford, and he would score against them en route to the cup final later in the season too. A key part of the youth team and regular captain, he deserves a great deal of praise for his accomplishments this season.

UNDER-18 UNSUNG HERO – BEN SAMPAYO
Ben came into his first season as a full-time scholar as a backup player with ideas of playing at either right or centre-back, but clearly behind the incumbents in those positions. Nine months and 25 appearances later, he is a regular in the team at either full-back position, and one of the players you can depend on for a solid, hard-working ninety minutes. He gets forward well, defends well, and communicates with his team-mates effectively, understanding the tendencies of his opponents and reacting accordingly.

UNDER-18 PLAYER OF THE SEASON – CONOR CLIFFORD
If the Reserve award was tight to the finish, Conor ran away with the Under-18 one, taking home 65% of the vote. It’s not hard to see why you’ve voted him as your Player of the Season, after all, his 85th minute scorcher to clinch the FA Youth Cup was the stuff dreams are made of. The Chelsea fan captained the youth team for most of the season, moving into the reserves but never leaving the academy side behind, he played eighteen times in all at youth level, grabbing three crucial goals in the cup run, and is quite clearly a popular figure amongst Chelsea followers.

Conor Clifford – 65.43%
Marko Mitrovic – 20.99%
Aziz Deen-Conteh – 7.41%
Sam Walker – 6.17%

That really concludes the awards, and the bulk of the youth and reserve coverage for the 2009/10 season. There will still be pieces going up on the site, as the world of youth football never stops, but for the best of the day-by-day updates, particularly concerning Chelsea involvement in youth international competitions starting this week, follow @chelseayouth on Twitter.

Dermot Drummy began the season with a large intake of players, but for a change only one player arrived from overseas. Philipp Prosenik complemented a healthy number of locally-sourced youngsters, a generation which had largely grown up together at Chelsea and had been touted for long-term success for a good while. Many of them had already featured in the youth team as schoolboys in 2008/09, including Josh McEachran, who had almost outgrown the league as a 15 year-old and would go into his first scholarship season eyeing a promotion to the reserve team.

Pre-season saw the club’s newly-adopted 4-4-2 diamond formation adopted, which was a change for almost every player, having been used to the 4-5-1 ingrained throughout the youth ranks as the ideal developmental shape and tactic. Colchester provided a simple ease back into action in mid July before the annual trip to Austria where SC Magna were sent packing. A trip to Rushden & Diamonds ended in a closely-fought 2-1 victory before goals exploded in the form of a 5-4 win over Bristol City and a 5-3 defeat at Newcastle.

The season started as it would continue, with fine home form underpinned by struggles away from home. The Blues dropped just seven points at Cobham, winning ten of their thirteen matches and proving hard to beat. Unfortunately, on their travels they could only find three wins (with one of those actually played at Cobham), losing seven of their total eight defeats on the way.

Naturally, the opening day trip to Blackburn ended in an 87th minute defeat, but points were put on the board when goals from Adam Phillip and Marko Mitrovic scored one apiece to defeat Nottingham Forest. Both had suffered injury-hit 2008/09 seasons, but their 09/10 campaigns would turn out markedly different.

A larger-than-usual interest was taken in the 1-0 win at Bristol City in early September as it was played mere days after the club had been banned from transfer activity during the Gael Kakuta affair. A goal from new signing Prosenik did little to silence the criticism, although everything would eventually come out in the wash. Another road trip a week later saw Mitrovic score a contender for goal of the season, but in a 2-1 defeat.

As with the reserve teams, occasional friendlies were played to keep the players fresh during lulls in the schedule, but unfortunately both Reading and the United States Under-17 team came away from Chelsea’s training ground with wins. At least when it came to league action the points were being collected, with Watford, Fulham and Charlton all going away empty handed in October. In a month full of goals, the youngsters fell 4-3 at Southampton late on, and were held 2-2 at Ipswich.

Indeed, confidence in front of goal was rarely a problem and when Russian friends from FC Tolyatti came for a kickaround in November, they were thumped 5-0 with Gokhan Tore scoring the pick of the bunch with a lovely free-kick. However, the remaining six weeks of 2009 were to become forgettable, as consecutive defeats to West Ham, Crystal Palace and Arsenal proved a huge set-back.
Sam Walker had broken his foot and backup Aldi Haxhia was unable to fill the breach in suitable fashion, seeing the game at Arsenal fall through his grasp (almost literally) with two goals in the last three minutes. Palace’s 3-0 win at Cobham was comprehensive and the only one to defeat the hosts all year in leafy Surrey, with midfielder James Comley starring on his way to a first-team squad place later in the season.

On a freezing December night at The Valley in South London though, the ball started rolling on the road to Youth Cup success. Goals from Jeffrey Bruma and that man Mitrovic put the Blues in the hat for the fourth round, and the team would go into their winter break dreaming of what may be. Upon their return they continued to make good on the dreams, spanking Nottingham Forest 4-0 at the City Ground in one of the purest attacking displays any Chelsea team put in this season.

With the cup run shaping up nicely, the league took a back seat and opportunities were given to schoolboys and first-years more than they had been in the 2009 portion of the season. Three straight draws against Crystal Palace, Arsenal and Charlton were largely positive results, but things continued to go well in knockout competition. Conor Clifford’s goal put them past Portsmouth and into the last eight, and as they headed to Vicarage Road to meet a team who had knocked Liverpool out, they were about to put in yet another wonderous display. Goals from Kaby, Mitrovic, Bruma and McEachran sealed a place in the Semi Finals for the second time in three years, and nobody else was playing better.

Four weeks between rounds allowed the academy staff to ensure they were able to field their strongest team and give them match practice to develop their tactic of choice further. Norwich, Fulham and Birmingham were defeated at Cobham (Fulham was an away fixture rescheduled due to flooding) and points were dropped against Southampton, but the calendar had kept Chelsea at home for a full month, which was a rather kind break.

Heading up to Blackburn for the Semi Final may therefore have been a slightly odder experience than usual but despite Kaby’s second red card of three in the season, an own goal from the son of former Blue Kevin Hitchcock (Tom) gave the boys the advantage they needed ahead of the second leg. A comprehensive 4-0 win at the Bridge put them into the Final, where they would face Aston Villa.

Ahead of the two-legged affair Portsmouth and Cardiff became the latest to succumb to a team who had only suffered one defeat in thirteen, which came sandwiched between those two matches to a Leicester team who went through the entire season unbeaten. Villa would prove a tough nut to crack in the showpiece occasion, with the first leg indicative of that in finishing 1-1. Jeffrey Bruma’s second half free kick arguably gave Chelsea the advantage returning home for the second leg, but despite a barrage of attacking football, the match wasn’t settled until desperately late in the day.

Captain Conor Clifford scored a scorching 25-yard blockbuster with just minutes remaining to send over 10,000 fans into raptures and seal the FA Youth Cup’s return to Stamford Bridge. Jubilant scenes followed with the staff and players entirely deserving of their success, leaving just Ipswich (win) and Tottenham (loss) to round out a breathless nine months.

In reviewing the team, we’ll start in goal once again. Sam Walker played the lion’s share of the fixtures and was outstanding throughout. He kept clean sheets in half of his appearances and was a key part of the defensive stability which was so key to Cup glory. His string of outstanding saves in league action would make quite the compilation. When he missed time with the broken foot, Aldi Haxhia got his chance but was a step down in ability and it showed in results and statistics. Niclas Heimann played twice and looked at ease, whilst Jan Sebek’s run-out at Charlton finished in a 2-2 draw.

Across the back four there were essentiall three different combinations of players. Billy Clifford, Daniel Mills Pappoe, Jeffrey Bruma and Aziz Deen-Conteh featured heavily in the first half of the season and throughout the cup run, and all played brilliantly along the way. Deen-Conteh is arguably the unsung hero of the season, featuring more than any other player and plying his trade excellently in multiple positions.

Bruma didn’t play much in league football, which gave Kenny Strickland the chance to do so in the first half of the year. He was excellent, as you may expect somebody with two years of experience in youth football to have, and he duly stepped up to the reserve team at the turn of the years. Ben Sampayo split his 25 appearances between right and left back and showed great development as the season went on, looking much the better player for his first year as a full-time scholar. He was given greater scope for playing time when Tom Hayden and Billy Knott left the club, and seized his chance with both hands.

Rohan Ince returned from a cruciate ligament injury and took a while to feel his way back into the fold, but came good in the second half of the home leg against Villa. Schoolboys Nathaniel Chalobah and Todd Kane were handed opportunities to impress and how both did, looking part of the team from the off and weighing in with goals as a bonus. Reserve teamers Nikki Ahamed and Ben Gordon played just to keep the rust away.

By opting for a diamond midfield – which was eschewed midway through the year in favour of the 4-5-1 for use in the FA Youth Cup – George Saville was able to excel. A left-back for the great majority of his junior career, he moved into defensive midfield upon becoming a scholar and despite his small and slim stature, he was a revelation. Composed in possession with the ability to control the play, he was occasionally overawed but grew into his role well, battled hard and, like Sampayo, looks much the better for his versatility.

He didn’t play in the cup run though, bowing to seniority in the form of Clifford and Kaby. The Irishman led by example and was superb, whilst the Portuguese re-invented himself from an attacking flair player to a midfield terrier with tenacity to spare. His all-energy style was a bonus, but came at a cost with three red cards. The third of the youth cup trio, Josh McEachran, was his understated self for most league appearances, playing his particularly attractive brand of football with little pomp and circumstance, but turned it on when it mattered most.

They were required to play more than their fair share of action though, as James Ashton was restricted to just one start and two sub appearances with a year of injuries, whilst Anton Rodgers also missed time injured or on international duty. He came into the fold regularly at the end of the year and will look to top his 14 outings next year. Daniel Philliskirk scored four goals in his five appearances and was too good for Under-18 football, whilst John Swift played twice and is one for the future.

Whether in a two-man partnership or up on his own, Marko Mitrovic made 2009/10 his season. After missing out on much of his first year in England through injuries he came back well rested and thrived, scoring 16 goals and leading the line selflessly. His goals came from all sources – tap-ins, long shots, penalties, headers – he has the lot and worked his socks off every time he took to the pitch. He started more games than anybody else, largely because Philipp Prosenik’s first year mirrored Marko’s, with three injuries impinging his progress. Bobby Devyne managed five goals but rarely convinced, occasionally used in a wide role.

He wasn’t likely to start very often though, with Gokhan Tore, Milan Lalkovic and Jacopo Sala running riot. The Turkish hotshot created ten goals himself and was a threat to all full-backs of a Saturday morning. Lalkovic’s harem-scarem style contrasted well with Sala’s composed, laid-back approach but both brought their own talents to the table and they combined for eight goals and six assists. Adam Phillip played twice with appearances bookending the season, and in scoring in both matches he showed his predatory instinct.

It was a wonderful year to follow the Under-18s, who played football which was easy on the eye, with the enthusiasm-naivety mix that you often find at this level. The group as a whole matured over the course of the campaign, with individuals taking their own games to new levels, many stepping up into the reserves. Filled with drama, great goals and controversy – yes, even at this level – roll on 2010/11!

An eventual fourth-placed finish with 7 wins and 8 defeats (with a solitary draw) doesn’t begin to tell the story of a campaign which featured 42 players, two home venues and the youngest squad in the reserve league. The club’s final season at Griffin Park may yet turn out to be the final season under the current reserve rules, with the league apparently set for a re-vamp this summer.

Everything started, of course, with a new reserve team manager. Steve Holland arrived from Stoke in August after Neil Bath and Adrian Viveash had taken charge in pre-season, and came with a reputation of having worked with and developed some fine young talent in his time at Crewe Alexandra. Pre-season provided ups and downs, with wins over Crawley and QPR, a draw with Farnborough and defeats to Aldershot and the Uzbekistan Under-20 team all overshadowed by a mass brawl against Al-Ahly of the UAE.

If Holland had seen fight from his team, it wasn’t present as the league campaign kicked off with a 4-0 defeat at home to Aston Villa. The visitors would wind up finishing national runners-up and were a different class on that particular summer evening, but the Blues found their feet a week later with a 5-2 win away to Portsmouth. Having to play in orange bibs due to a kit clash didn’t prevent Adam Phillip scoring a hat-trick and Fabio Borini adding two more to his prolific pre-season tally of five.

The team continued to feature younger players but results were still looking good. Friendlies against Fulham (1-1) and Ipswich (5-2) kept the squad match-fit and when league fixtures resumed a month later, a team featuring schoolboy Daniel Mills Pappoe came away from Wolves with a 1-0 win, courtesy of the first of Conor Clifford’s long range stunners.

If September was all smiles, October was inconsistent. Arsenal played them off the park at Barnet in a 2-0 defeat where Chelsea barely saw the ball, but when West Ham arrived at Griffin Park they came off second best in arguably the performance of the season from the reserves. Alex got things going with an early free kick, before Daniel Sturridge and a brace from Borini sealed a 4-1 win, with the consolation coming in stoppage time from ex-blue Frank Nouble.

Watford came away from Cobham with a friendly win but points were dropped away to Stoke in the next feature match in early November. Mills Pappoe scored his first reserve team goal and Clifford added another, but a late winner from Diego Arismendi broke Chelsea hearts, for theirs had been a fine performance against a much more experienced unit. The goals continued to flow a week later in an entertaining 3-3 home draw with Fulham, with both Billy Knott and Milan Lalkovic scoring their debut goals at this level.

As the calendar moved into the bleak and empty winter period, fixtures against midland teams Birmingham (lost) and Wolves (won) sandwiched a trip to Celtic Park and a friendly against the green side of Glasgow. It was meant to represent the first of a two-legged affair but scheduling issues meant the return fixture was never played. Against an experienced team, Chelsea lost 5-3, with Clifford, Kakuta, and a then 16 year-old Josh McEachran scoring.

Things got back underway in February with a busy list of games. Unfortunately, consecutive defeats to Aston Villa, Arsenal, and West Ham, with a loss to Charlton thrown in at Cobham in another friendfly for good measure, did nothing for individual confidence. Kenny Strickland, Nemanja Matic and Marko Mitrovic all scored their maiden goals at this level though, and when Sturridge returned to the fold after a winter of first-team involvement, his two goals helped see off Stoke in early March.

By this point home matches had been moved from Griffin Park to Cobham, with the club none too satisfied with the playing surface at Brentford. With the FA Youth Cup dictating Chelsea TV live scheduling, it meant end-of-season wins over Portsmouth and Birmingham (and a defeat at Fulham) went under the radar to almost the most ardent of supporters. The Portsmouth win was most remarkable for featuring a makeshift team with the majority of depth options away travelling with the Dallas Cup squad, meaning schoolboy Reece Loudon and fitness coach Chris Jones both got half an hour on the pitch.

Never able to string together more than two wins in a row, but only suffering consecutive defeats during their three-match losing streak in February meant it was a season where nothing really happened. It once again led to calls for not only more meaningful fixtures for players between youth team level and the first team, but more fixtures altogether. When a talented player like Kakuta plays just ten reserve matches all season, suspension or not, there’s a problem.

Instead of reviewing each individual, which is often arbitrary and in this case excessive with so many players to get through, each area of the team will get a look instead.

Defensively, the team fared quite well, with 25 goals conceded in the 16 league outings, and five clean sheets along the way. Welsh stopper Rhys Taylor led the way with 8 appearances and 4 clean sheets, and offered a security and consistency rarely provided by the nervous and edgy Ross Turnbull. Arriving from Middlesbrough on a Bosman free transfer, he played five matches but early season errors against Aston Villa and Fulham meant defenders and supporters alike were never entirely at ease with him in goal. Jan Sebek fared much better in his two outings, keeping a clean sheet of his own, whilst Sam Walker was excellent on his debut away to Fulham late in the year. Niclas Heimann failed to play a competitive match and looks likely to move on in the summer, with various trial periods abroad already under his belt.

A very many players lined up as part of the blue defence in 2009/10, but none more often than Ben Gordon. His eleven appearances weren’t remarkable, but they were solid, efficient, and he developed enough to earn a loan move to Tranmere Rovers late in the season. Nana Ofori-Twumasi also featured semi-regularly at right or centre-back either side of a loan to Dagenham & Redbridge, whilst Nikki Ahamed moved into the right back slot on occasion with seven appearances. Neither really showed any great shakes, but Liam Bridcutt displayed his superior quality and know-how at either centre-back or defensive midfield when he turned out.

Kenny Strickland, on a one-year deal after being released by Manchester United, earned a promotion to the reserves midway through the season and largely dealt with the step-up well, tucking away a fine finish at Villa Park, and, one or two errors aside, was neat and tidy. Alternatives at centre-back in Carl Magnay, Sam Hutchinson and Jeffrey Bruma were all more talented but rarely outstanding on the pitch, although Bruma had a fabulous night as captain alongside Alex at home to West Ham. Whilst Magnay and Hutchinson toiled with injury, Bruma progressed further and made his first team debut in November, spending most of the second half of the season with Carlo Ancelotti’s boys.

Of all three major teams at Stamford Bridge it was the reserves that persisted with the midfield diamond throughout the season, serving the players who played in it in good stead going forward in their careers. Holland spoke early in the season of players having reached almost all of their technical ability by their late teens and at this stage of their careers it was all about learning roles within teams and tactics. To this end, the most regular quartet of Matic, Clifford, Kakuta and Mellis all performed well and look almost too good for reserve team level. Matic and Kakuta have played for the first team, with Mellis having spent time on loan at Southampton, and Clifford apparently set to head out elsewhere next season for a spell. For his ten appearances and three goals, however, Kakuta had a quiet year, undoubtedly affected by the media furore over him and will be looking forward to a break, coming back fresh next season with the first team squad.

Jacopo Sala played deeper in midfield on the right side of a diamond, as opposed to his right wing role in the Under-18 team, but still played very well and led all players with three assists in his six appearances. Things weren’t so smooth for Daniel Philliskirk though, as the majority of his nine appearances came as a substitute and he rarely made an impact on any match, although he did get onto the first team bench for a Champions League match. Gokhan Tore made a similar number of appearances as a replacement, with just one start, and was rather inconsistent, showing he needs to bridge the gap between youth and reserves ahead of next season.

Brief outings from Kaby and George Saville act as precursors to next season, whilst Michael Woods was restricted to just three starts because of a series of injuries, the most serious of which was a broken ankle. It came at a terrible time in his career and having lost a season, the second-youngest player to play for Chelsea has work to do to make up for lost time.

In attack, Borini and Sturridge top scored with five apiece, but Sturridge often looked the better player, and rightfully so, proving he can also contribute in the right situation at the next level. Borini continues to work hard and the duo struck up a useful partnership, particularly early in the season.

In relief of the first choice duo, first-year forward Milan Lalkovic was the unlikely name to step up and feature, playing in eight matches (six starts) and grabbing a goal against Fulham. At times he looked like the raw 17 year-old he is, but he came on leaps and bounds over the course of the season and will be a better player for his early exposure to football at this level.

With a lack of other options the likes of Sala and Gokhan occasionally featured as a forward, whilst later in the season Marko Mitrovic made his bow, scoring at West Ham. He will be relied upon more next season, and looks ready to make the step up. Bobby Devyne and Philipp Prosenik both played half an hour each and are a long way from contributing at this level.

Ultimately, the year had its good moments on the pitch, and with a healthy number of players making their first team debuts or further impacts under Ancelotti, things are moving as swiftly as they have done for at least four years. What next season’s purported changes hold remains to be seen, and there will be a large dose of loans, perhaps more than the total of nineteen moves this season.

In Part Three of our season review, we finish up with the Under-18 team, and the FA Youth Cup winners.

Squad management is important at any level, but when working with young footballers who require regular playing time to develop their game, it becomes arguably even more paramount. With 42 players featuring at Reserve level in 2009/10, it could be argued that the club haven’t done as well as they could in this respect, but circumstance was often out of their control. Only sixteen league fixtures were scheduled and with injuries, first-team commitments, Under-18 needs and players coming and going from loan spells, Steve Holland rarely had a settled squad. To achieve a positive season with the youngest squad in the league – a tender nineteen – must go down as a plus in the books when all is said and done.

For Youth Team Manager Dermot Drummy, things were a bit more organised. A core squad of almost twenty players was a rather large one, one which was often reduced through injury but at the same time supplemented by a handful of schoolboys. Aided a little by the FA Youth Cup (and the extra eight games it brought), the academy staff deserve congratulations for ensuring the majority of the squad featured regularly throughout the season.

Fourteen players played in fifteen or more of the 35 fixtures, which might not seem a great deal, but it represents almost half the squad, and well over half of those who played for most of the season. Aziz Deen-Conteh led all Under-18s with a total of 32 appearances, which is some going considering he didn’t start a match until the start of October. Marko Mitrovic followed him with 29 appearances, with his 28 starts the most of any player.

The Swedish hitman was also the club’s top goalscorer, and by some way. He led the way with sixteen goals, more than triple any other total. He also set up four goals, which was more than anyone else except for the remarkable Gokhan Tore. Ten assists in seventeen outings meant that the Turkish Under-21 international was one of the most dangerous creative outlets in the entire league.

Also contributing in front of goal were Billy Knott and Bobby Devyne with five apiece, but Devyne lacked consistency, whilst Knott found a rich vein of form in October and November before leaving the academy. Reserve teamers Jacopo Sala and Daniel Philliskirk were a further goal back, using their experience at this level to their advantage. Philliskirk’s tally came in just five games, an indication that he is indeed far too good for that level of football.

Perhaps surprisingly, only four schoolboys made appearances, a number surely down on previous years. Daniel Mills Pappoe played the full season, with Todd Kane, Nathaniel Chalobah and briefly John Swift also playing their part. Kane and Mills Pappoe are set to become full-time scholars in the summer, whilst the other two are still a year out. Nonetheless, they will be key fixtures in the team next season.

In goal, Sam Walker kept a fantastic twelve clean sheets through 24 appearances, and in only leaking 21 ended with a record of less than a goal per game conceded. He was a consistently high performer all year and deserves the credit those numbers produce. When he was absent with a broken foot, Aldi Haxhia took the opportunity to put together the majority of his ten appearances, but failed to shut out a single opponent and averaged three goals against each time he played.

Injuries to Walker, Mills Pappoe, Lalkovic, Rodgers, Ince, Prosenik, Ashton and Phillip at one point or another meant that various players featured for cameo outings, but over the course of the season the team with the most appearances would have lined up as:

Walker, B.Clifford, Mills Pappoe, Strickland, Deen-Conteh, Saville, C.Clifford, Kaby, Lalkovic, Gokhan Tore, Mitrovic

With special mentions to Ben Sampayo and Josh McEachran, who had more appearances than some in that team, but not in preferred positions.

Things aren’t so clear cut up a level with the Reserves, a fact summed up by the joint leading scorer scoring his five goals in just six appearances. Daniel Sturridge was dominant when he turned out and struck up a good partnership with Fabio Borini, who scored the same number of goals but in twice the appearances.

Borini’s thirteen starts were good enough to lead all reserve teamers, followed by Nemanja Matic and Ben Gordon with eleven. Gordon would surely have taken the lead late in the season were it not for a loan spell at Tranmere Rovers. However, only Gael Kakuta, Conor Clifford and Nana Ofori-Twumasi featured in half of the league fixtures, with half a dozen others one game away.

Sala didn’t only impress for the Under-18s, as in his six Reserve outings he created a team-leading three goals, ahead of Clifford and Sturridge on two. Eight players created a goal each, a rather low tally, but reflective of a league both bereft of goalscoring and the opportunity to harness creative talent.

The reserve team is often used to rehabilitate first team players who have suffered injury and in 2009/10 Paulo Ferreira, Alex and Joe Cole all made appearances for this purpose. However, there was no more unlikely feature than Fitness Coach Chris Jones, who played for half an hour against Portsmouth at the end of the season with many players away in the Dallas Cup. The same night, schoolboy Reece Loudon made his own reserve bow before featuring for the youth team, another very rare event.

Rhys Taylor was the best of a clustered bunch of goalkeepers, playing eight times, and keeping a clean sheet in four of them. Just nine goals found their way past him in total, a better ration than Ross Turnbull, Jan Sebek or Sam Walker managed, although Sebek did manage to keep one shutout of his own.

Following Under-18 procedure above, the most regularly turned-out team under Steve Holland would appear to have been;

Taylor, Ahamed, Ofori-Twumasi, Strickland, Gordon, Bridcutt, C.Clifford, Matic, McEachran, Kakuta, Borini

If some of these numbers leave you a little muddled I apologise – it’s a lot of numbers from a rather large scope, but there’s certainly enough there to take on board and look at. In part two, we review the reserve team as a whole. And there’s certainly enough of them to review!

It has been quite the season on both fronts, with a new Reserve team manager in Steve Holland leading the youngest squad in the league to a solid campaign and providing a number of players through to Carlo Ancelotti’s title-winning first team squad. On the youth team front, Dermot Drummy and his staff led a talented Under-18 team to the club’s first FA Youth Cup success in 49 years, clinching a 3-2 aggregate win over Aston Villa. Nominations will be based mainly on individual performance on the pitch, and not merely if they’ve progressed through the ranks.

The Reserve Team nominees are:

FABIO BORINI
With five goals, the Italian finished the season as the joint leading scorer for the reserve team and progressed through to the first team ranks earlier in the campaign. He led the line admirably, playing in more games than anybody else, and scored some fine goals, particularly a brace against West Ham way back in September. Earned an Italian Under-21 call-up and a regular place in the Azzurrini squad.

NEMANJA MATIC
Played in eleven games and often looked a class above in the midfield diamond. Intelligent, composed and comfortable, he showed a deftness of touch but a physical presence to help what was a very young team. Despite being only 21 himself, his performances belied his age throughout.

DANIEL STURRIDGE
Played in just six fixtures but was clearly too good for the level, grabbing five goals and making another two. Showed a real desire to improve and work hard, and struck up a good partnership with Borini which bodes well for the future.

RHYS TAYLOR
In a goalkeeping competition where four men featured for the team, Rhys played in the most matches and averaged a clean sheet every other game. The team continues to look at its best defensively with the Welshman in goal, and he was unfortunate to end his season with an injury.

Vote for your choice HERE.

The Under-18 nominees are:

CONOR CLIFFORD
The captain, the leader, the Youth Cup hero. Conor led by example this season, driving from the midfield and scoring some superb goals along the way. None were better than the goal which secured the trophy at Stamford Bridge, a scorching drive from outside the area at the Shed End.

AZIZ DEEN-CONTEH
Aziz finished the season with more appearances than anybody else, which is an outstanding achievement given he didn’t start any of the first eight league matches. Used in an array of positions – left-back, centre-back, left-wing and striker – he was a pillar of consistency and was outstanding along the left side on the way to the Youth Cup.

MARKO MITROVIC
Top goalscorer and workhorse, Marko’s second season in England more than made up for his injury-hit first. Sixteen goals led to a reserve debut, where he also scored, but it was in the academy side where he showed his best form, finding the net from all angles and distances with both feet, and thrived as the targetman in a 4-3-3 formation. A selfless performer and never happy with his performance, he deserved his Youth Cup Final goal as much as anyone.

SAM WALKER
Twelve clean sheets in 24 appearances is an outstanding record for the giant goalkeeper, who in addition to a sterling record of just 21 conceded made a series of world-class saves throughout the season. It might seem an exaggeration to make that claim for an academy goalie, but they were out of the very top drawer and he was key to a watertight Youth Cup defence.

Vote for your choice HERE.

Voting is open until Midnight on Saturday/Sunday UK time, and results will be revealed thereafter. And remember; it’s just for fun – every one of the youth and reserves have played their part and deserve every credit for performances this season on both an individual and a team basis.