Here’s a roundup of those youths — the two youths? — that have been shipped out on loan before the start of the 2009-10 season. Let me know if I missed anyone, people.

Franco Di Santo
Destination: Blackburn
Loan Length: Six months
After a month of speculation, Big Sam finally snapped up young Di Santo on a six-month deal. This could prove excellent for the Argentinian who, despite looking bright on nearly every ocassion he’s taken the field for Chelsea, was never going to see much time at Stamford Bridge in 2009-10.
This is, of course, dependent on Di Santo getting games. Let’s hope he does, because he could prove a valuable piece of not only Blackburn’s puzzle but ours as well.

Ryan Bertrand
Destination: Reading
Loan Length: Season-loan
Bertrand’s spell at Norwich — consisting of a six-month and season-long loan — was hit and miss. He put in several solid displays at left-back, but also struggled at times. Another loan, this time to Reading, will reunite him with former Chelsea youth team manager Shaun Rodgers. This should prove beneficial for both parties. I personally rate Bertrand higher than Arsenal’s Kieron Gibbs so we shall see if he actually pans out — or becomes another Chelsea youth system casualty.

Tom Taiwo
Destination: Carlisle United
Loan Length: Six Months
Taiwo, a midfielder or right back, was part of the controversial deal with Leeds in 2006 that also included Michael Woods. He joined Port Vale on a month’s loan in 2008. Vale promptly sent him back afterward, rejecting the chance to extend the loan. Yikes.

Lee Sawyer
Destination: Southend United
Loan Length: Six Months
After spells at Coventry City and Wycombe, Sawyer is returning to the club he began his loan adventure at, Southend. Sawyer, in the last year of his contract with Chelsea, made 12 appearances — scoring once — during his initial three-month loan back in 2008. The attacking midfielder impressed during his first run at Roots Hall. Let’s hope the second time is more of the same, and then some.

Miroslav Stoch, Slobodan Rajkovic
Destination: FC Twente
Loan Length: Season-Long
Stoch — impressive in his appearances a season ago, however rare they were — has opted to join Steve McClaren’s Dutch revolution. The young Slovakian chose Twente over Wigan, Besiktas and Reading among others. In addition to studying under one of the great footballing minds England has ever produced, Stoch will link up with another Chelsea loanee, defender Rajkovic, whose has already spent a season with Twente.

In Twente’s preseason friendly against Sparta Rotterdam on Aug. 1, both Rajkovic and Stoch started. Stoch clocked 84 minutes, while Rajkovic went the full 90. Stoch was very productive, assisting on the second goal of a 2-0 win and providing quality service. Good to see both holding down places in the starting XI, even better to see Stoch making an instant impact.

Potential Movers
Among those that could still move out are Jack Cork, who apparently is being giving the big eye by Hull City, and Michael Mancienne may yet end up back at Wolverhampton where he impressed for part of last season’s campaign despite playing just 10 matches.

“There are good young pros out there but nowadays it’s made much too easy for them.

“We’re all lucky to be where we are, leading nice lifestyles, but that lifestyle is coming earlier and earlier. The lads are forgetting the hard work that needs to be done to earn that lifestyle. Sometimes when you mix with international players and have a taste of the trimmings at 16, 17 or 18, you can forget you’re not there yet.

“I have had a word with some of them. I’m close to one or two of the younger Chelsea boys. I’m not digging out everyone. There are some who are good young lads who want to be top players. We have a fantastic Academy at Chelsea. But players don’t clean boots any more and I’m a big advocate of that.

“Me and John (Terry) always complain that they should be cleaning boots because it was a great learning curve for us, being told off by Julian Dicks and having the boots thrown back at you. Once that’s gone, an edge can be taken off. If that stops players being as good as they should be that’s bad. I work very hard. If I take my foot off the gas. I feel my game go down a level.”

Lamps’ comments have been both embraced and criticized. What I think everyone can agree on is that the Chelsea midfielder brings up a good point. The question now is, what can clubs — and countries — do about it.

One of my favorite football writers, Sam Wallace of the Independent, tackled that query today. It’s certainly a must-read.

Here are some choice tidbits for those of you too lazy to click over…

“Lampard was well-intentioned but the fundamental problem is not that young players are no longer cleaning boots. The problem is the academy system that has screwed the development of young footballers to the extent that the old-fashioned apprenticeships they served no longer exist. It is a system that has been undermined by English football’s oldest friend and biggest problem: money.”

I wonder if Vincenzo Camilleri returned to Italy in the same helicopter?

“At Chelsea’s academy, for instance, young players are graded. The best, often established youth internationals with major football-playing nations, sign contracts worth upwards of £75,000 a year when they turn 17. At grade B, players who are judged as slightly less promising, but with potential, can earn between £40,000 and £70,000 a year from 17. Those at grade C get a scholarship. They earn about £100 a week.”

“More than cleaning boots, washing out the baths or sweeping terraces, it is money that changes the attitudes of young players. It must be hard to teach a young man about hunger and enthusiasm when he has a BMW X5 waiting for him in the car park. But the Premier League academy rules are forcing clubs into making bigger investments in young players who are completely unproven because, to get around the rules, they have to move the family, as well as the child.”

Chelsea’s Under-18 side crashed out of the FA Youth Cup on Thursday, suffering a 1-0 defeat to Liverpool in a nip-and-tuck affair on a brisk night at Anfield. Liverpool scored the night’s only goal on 16 minutes, David Amoo heading past Blues keeper Niclas Heimann. The Reds move into the quarterfinals where they’ll face Bolton.

Gael Kakuta

Behind Thomas Ince — son of Paul Ince — Liverpool created a pair of chances in the opening stages and, in the end, were worthy of advancement. Promising Chelsea winger/forward Gael Kakuta scored in the 60th minute only for the strike to be ruled out because of offside. Again, can anyone tell me why this kid is playing out wide?

Dermott Drummy took charge of his first match as official U18 manager. He said afterward: “We didn’t perform to our potential. Liverpool defended a lot better. Once they got the goal, we tried to force the game but they sat deep and that is easy for them. … We didn’t really create enough chances for the ability we have got in the side. It is disappointing that we haven’t performed and have probably been out fought.

“We just have to take it on the chin, take a look at ourselves and maybe get a bit more character.”

Chelsea scout Guy Hillion confirmed that the club inked 12-year-old Jeremy Boga from ASPTT Marseille.

The Blues beat out Lyon, Bordeaux and big Marseille for the young one’s signature. More to the point, his father has been working in London for a couple of years, leading to Boga’s decision to join Chelsea.

“That is not a transfer, as the rules forbid it,” Hillion told Les Dessous du Sport. “We couldn’t have signed Jeremy if Mr. Boga hadn’t been in London.  Chelsea took him because he has the talent to play at the highest level. He’s an excellent number 10.”

The new Frank Lampard, eh? We shall see.

In his Chelsea debut, the highly-touted Swede — signed by Chelsea last December — found himself on the scoresheet less than a minute into the Blues’ tournament opener with River Plate. Mitrovic drove home a penalty, which he had won by latching onto an errant loose ball just 10 seconds into the game. Mitrovic landed a second — which turned out to be the match-winner — later in the first half after River had equalized through Juan Montero’s spot kick.

James Ashton fed Aziz Deen-Conteh, who in turn found Ashton in space. Ashton then found Mitrovic. Mitrovich played a neat one-two with Aliu “Kaby” Djalo, the later setting up Mitrovich for a exquisite finish just inside the near post. The Chelsea website described it as, “everything the club’s coaches are striving to achieve.”

River came close to levelling in the second half, but Chelsea held on for a quality win. Chelsea will face Suwon Blue Wings today. Winners will be determined after play on Monday. Suwon (Korea) and River join Ajax, Bayern Munich, FC Tolyatti (Russia), Al-Nejmeh Lebanon, and Disney’s Soccer Showcase All-Stars (U.S.) as participants in this year’s tournament.

Under 14s also in action
Chelsea is also staging an Under-14 festival this weekend. The two-club tournament — Dynamo Kyiv dropped out — wrapped up today. In a two-game competition, the Blues emerged 3-1 winners over DFC Dnipro (Ukraine) on aggregate.

The ceremony came prior to the Cobham Cup kickoff, a subject I’ll tackle in my next transcendent blog post. As for the facility, it supposedly also features a “Community Pavilion.” Now, whether or not that’s like the Olympic village is up for debate.

JT had the honor of revealing a plaque to commemroate the day. Seeing as he’s the only worthwhile product of the youth system at Chelsea thus far, I think they may have made the right call.

For the rest I’ll let the official website tell it:

“It is home to the Under 9s through to the Under 18s, with each age group having their own changing rooms, although while the scholars will be based there, they will still have lunch in the main building, in order to continue building a good relationship with both first team players and reserves.

“Still, the new building has its own kitchen and many of the same facilities as the main building, the only difference is the amenities in the new building are dedicated to the needs of the Academy. This means treatment rooms, gyms and rehabilitation rooms are all designed with the younger generation in mind.

“The new building also allows local communities to maintain involvement with the Cobham grounds as they play weekend matches there, as well as permitting the Academy’s management structure and Football in the Community’s 136 coaches to work alongside one another.

“The Community Replacement Building now means the 140 acre site can accommodate all elements of football, from the elite through to the local community’s weekend games.”

So, to sum it all up, this place is the tits. Here’s some pictures of the small city.

They dominated Port Vale 5-2 at Vale Park, a sublime hat-trick from Frenchman Gael Kakuta the highlight of the night. Morten Neilsen and Miroslav Stoch added to the tally.

Vale scored boths of its goals in the second half, the first through Jonathan Compton on a penalty while the second came via a Danny Glover — of Lethal Weapon fame — free-kick.

Kakuta opened the scoring in the 13th minute, doubling his total in the 27th with a scathing effort. He completed the three-piece in the 67th from point-blank range.

I feel so jealous that my fellow ‘bloggers’ can post goal action of their favourites from the weekend’s action and ‘appen from the last few weeks LOL LOL LOL!!

Anyway. Will he or won’t he? Thats the question that is being debated and discussed on the varous Chelsea chat boards concerning our own Captain Marvel – JT – who had his face smashed in by the ‘Lonesome Star’ from Texas, Fulham’s Clint Demspey in the West London derby on Saturday.

The FA announced today that they would not be taking any action against Dempsey, despite this incident being the second he has been involved inside a week. In Fulham’s home game against Man City, he had a similar set to with City’s Micah Richards.

Anyhow ’nuff of that. The matter being debated on the WWW – Should JT risk playing so soon even with a protective face mask? (Despite Chelsea’s dismal run of form and with England’s important Euro 2008 qualifiers on the horizon). Or should JT take a well-deserved rest and get his broken toe better as well as his face?

Opinion seems to be divided – equal yes and no. A top injury expert said today that JT can make the decision himself.

Personally I think if Carvalho suddenly becomes available then JT should rest. But JT is JT and as well as being Mr Chelsea he is also Mr England and an extremely hard man to keep down.

If the first team had a bad day at the office on Saturday, then the Academy had an even worse day. On Saturday morning they travelled across to East London to play West Ham and were soundly trounced 4-1.

West Ham scored first after 13 minutes and West Ham scored a further three goals within nine minutes of the second-half starting. The Academy’s consolation goal came from schoolboy Frank Nouble, four minutes from time.

Chelsea:

Sam Walker, Nana Ofori-Twumasi, Jeffrey Bruma, Jack Saville, Ben Gordon, Tom Taiwo (Nikki Ahamed), Jordan Hibbert (Daniel Philliskirk), Gael Kakuta, Jacob Mellis, Morten Nielsen (Frank Nouble), Adam Phillip.

The reserves are in action on Tuesday night in their own version of the West London derby when they travel to Fulham, the game kicks off at 7pm UK time and then on Wednesday night Chelsea return to the Mestalla for Champions League action against Valencia.

KTBFFH

I WAS THERE WHEN WE WERE S**T!!

The Academy travelled to Aston Villa on Saturday morning and like the first team a couple of weeks ago, were beaten. The game ended 2-1 to Villa. Read all about it here.

The reserves were in action last night at their new home Griffin Park, home of Brentford FC and in front of a fair sized crowd drew with Tottenham 1-1. Read all about it here.

England Ladies with three Chelsea players reached the knockout stages of FIFA’s World Cup in China with a comfortable 6-1 over Argentina yesterday. Read all about it here.

Tonight the first team take centre stage at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League against Norway’s Rosenborg. Full preview to follow.

KTBFFH