… and if so, just how keen a supporter was he?

And what about the rest of The Clash?

http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/07/joe-strummers-team-in-uefa-cup-final/

@finnegan: our youth system isn’t that brilliant. It’s ok, but considering the money we’ve invested it should be generating more talent. but it’s a work in progress. Arsenal and Man Utd’s youth systems have been in place for donkeys years ours is relativity young.

It will still live long in the memory of all football fans as the day when even Roman Abramovich couldnt but a penalty

That says alot

“youth players from everywhere in europe dream of coming up through chelsea’s ranks”

Lol sure

Valdes, Puyol, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Krkic, Pique, Busquets, Pedro and Victor Sanchez have all been used this season, and the first 7 on this list are significant parts of Guardiola’s choice eleven, in addition to being Spanish or Catalan. Next season, Gai Assulin (unless a big side buys him) and Botia will also feature.

Chelsea does indeed field English players, and people for whom such things matter can be buoyed by that. Liverpool is another example of a big club that does.

But youth programs are the cornerstone of a club, I think, in that they assure quality talent coming up through the ranks, testing and challenging incumbent players. Sergi Busquets was a very pleasant surprise for us this season.

We may well lose to Man U, but that’s a different question, right?

And yes, you did run us all over the field. The match was yours to win. But you closed up shop. Drogba was raising hell, and you were also winning the midfield battle. I could barely watch, frankly. But please don’t blame Hiddink’s tactical decisions on a UEFA conspiracy. Chelsea and its supporters have too much pride and honor for that. It came down to allowing a match to come down to a piece of individual talent, which is always dangerous against a talented side.

Are we the “best in the world?” Impossible to know for any club, Champions League aside. But we are talented, as is every club that gets deep into the Champions League draw.

except for the whole, barca rulez thing. You guys are gonna get spanked by manure.

VIVA BARCA!!!

Umm how many players other than John Terry are in the starting XI that have come up the ranks? If you cant admit that some clubs are developers and some just get lazy and buy, and that you are one of those lazy ones, then you are blind.

You guys are just filled with sour grapes. Barca was the better team and they won. You can say u “ran the field with them”, whatever helps u sleep at night in you Chelsea jersey. Fact is, you couldnt make ur own success, you had to buy it.

Conspiracy theories are just an excuse for losing.

you think chelsea doesn’t develop youth? chelsea’s youth program is one of the strongest in the whole country. youth players from everywhere in europe dream of coming up through chelsea’s ranks – and if I’m not mistaken, chelsea fields more english talent than any of the other major clubs in england (lampard, joe cole, ashley cole, john terry) and john terry even came up through chelsea’s youth system.

I suppose you think thierry henry and leo messi came up through barca’s youth, right? give me a break. I’m sick of you barca supporters spewing your delusion that you’re the better team. news flash – we ran your asses all over the field. but when UEFA wants a united/barca final, UEFA gets one. and four penalty appeals, two of which were crystal clear, can’t stop it.