Independent:
FA Youth Cup Final: Clifford takes chance to end long Chelsea wait
Chelsea 2 Aston Villa 1
By Mark Fleming
Chelsea's youth side kicked off what could become a historic 11-day period for the club by clinching the FA Youth Cup for the first time in 49 years with victory over Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge.
With the senior side on the verge of a Premier League and FA Cup Double, the juniors produced a display of verve and invention to suggest the long-term future of the club could be as productive as the short term. With the scores level after the first leg, Chelsea's teenagers had to come from behind on the night to win thanks to a spectacular 85th-minute strike from their Irish captain Conor Clifford.
Chelsea's dismal record of producing home-grown players has been an easy stick with which to beat the club. The prospects however are looking a little brighter. Manager Carlo Ancelotti meets the club's board later this week to discuss the club's transfer targets for the summer.
The Italian has already promised to promote five young players – Gaël Kakuta, Fabio Borini, Patrick van Aanholt, Nemanja Matic and Jeffrey Bruma – into the senior squad next season, partly in response no doubt to the new Premier League rules on home-grown players which come into force in August. All five are set to start in next season's Carling Cup.
Towering Dutch defender Bruma, 18, was the only member of that quintet to feature last night as Chelsea went in search of their first FA Youth Cup since 1961, watched by John Terry, the last player to successfully graduate from the club's academy.
Bruma however did not shower himself with glory when he stood rooted to the spot as Villa took a shock lead in the 32nd minute, outjumped by visiting centre forward Kofi Poyser who headed his team in front.
Chelsea also contained 17-year-old Englishman Josh McEachran who is rated the pick of the crop at Stamford Bridge. He is to be offered professional terms in the summer and was full of nice touches as his side enjoyed the bulk of the possession but struggled to find a cutting edge.
Chelsea finally scored the goal their flowing football deserved when they pulled level after 64 minutes. McEachran released Jacopo Sala and the impressive Italian centred for Marko Mitrovic to finish astutely at the near post. The goal was reward for the persistence shown by the Swedish striker, whose header minutes earlier had been cleared off the line by Villa midfielder Tomos Roberts.
Chelsea saved the best till last. McEachran capped a fine display by stealing the ball off Samir Carruthers and passing to Clifford who dispatched the sweetest of shots past Benjamin Siegrist in the Villa goal. In the dying moments Gokhan Tore hit the woodwork with a shot that struck the bar, before referee Kevin Friend blew the whistle to spark frenzied celebrations.
FA Youth Cup Final: Clifford takes chance to end long Chelsea wait
Chelsea 2 Aston Villa 1
By Mark Fleming
Chelsea's youth side kicked off what could become a historic 11-day period for the club by clinching the FA Youth Cup for the first time in 49 years with victory over Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge.
With the senior side on the verge of a Premier League and FA Cup Double, the juniors produced a display of verve and invention to suggest the long-term future of the club could be as productive as the short term. With the scores level after the first leg, Chelsea's teenagers had to come from behind on the night to win thanks to a spectacular 85th-minute strike from their Irish captain Conor Clifford.
Chelsea's dismal record of producing home-grown players has been an easy stick with which to beat the club. The prospects however are looking a little brighter. Manager Carlo Ancelotti meets the club's board later this week to discuss the club's transfer targets for the summer.
The Italian has already promised to promote five young players – Gaël Kakuta, Fabio Borini, Patrick van Aanholt, Nemanja Matic and Jeffrey Bruma – into the senior squad next season, partly in response no doubt to the new Premier League rules on home-grown players which come into force in August. All five are set to start in next season's Carling Cup.
Towering Dutch defender Bruma, 18, was the only member of that quintet to feature last night as Chelsea went in search of their first FA Youth Cup since 1961, watched by John Terry, the last player to successfully graduate from the club's academy.
Bruma however did not shower himself with glory when he stood rooted to the spot as Villa took a shock lead in the 32nd minute, outjumped by visiting centre forward Kofi Poyser who headed his team in front.
Chelsea also contained 17-year-old Englishman Josh McEachran who is rated the pick of the crop at Stamford Bridge. He is to be offered professional terms in the summer and was full of nice touches as his side enjoyed the bulk of the possession but struggled to find a cutting edge.
Chelsea finally scored the goal their flowing football deserved when they pulled level after 64 minutes. McEachran released Jacopo Sala and the impressive Italian centred for Marko Mitrovic to finish astutely at the near post. The goal was reward for the persistence shown by the Swedish striker, whose header minutes earlier had been cleared off the line by Villa midfielder Tomos Roberts.
Chelsea saved the best till last. McEachran capped a fine display by stealing the ball off Samir Carruthers and passing to Clifford who dispatched the sweetest of shots past Benjamin Siegrist in the Villa goal. In the dying moments Gokhan Tore hit the woodwork with a shot that struck the bar, before referee Kevin Friend blew the whistle to spark frenzied celebrations.
Chelsea (4-4-1-1): Walker; B Clifford, Ince, Bruma, Conteh; Sala, C Clifford, Djalo, Tore (Lalkovic, 89); McEachran; Mitrovic. Substitutes not used Haxhia (gk), Saville, Sampayo, Rodgers.
Aston Villa (4-4-2): Siegrist; Berry, Devine, Williams (Darkin, 72), Deeney; Carruthers, Nelson-Addy, Blythe, Roberts (Johnson, 88); Poyser, Simmonds. Substitutes not used Barrett (gk), Halfhuid, Dyer.
Referee K Friend (Leicestershire).
-------------------------------------------------
Guardian:
FA Youth Cup victory points to bright new age for ChelseaA first victory in this tournament for 49 years is an important step for a club whose big-spending days are behind them
Dominic Fifield
The next fortnight may be littered with silverware for Chelsea though they are already celebrating their first trophy of the season, slipped in almost under the radar. The FA Youth Cup was won tonight for the first time in 49 years with a pair of superbly executed second-half goals. The senior side will hope this is a sign of things to come.
Aston Villa can take great heart from their 3-2 aggregate defeat here but victory will be seen as significant given the focus placed on – and finance poured into – Chelsea's youth system. Carlo Ancelotti is due to meet the club's hierarchy this week for the latest round of discussions over summer transfer policy, though there has already been a shift in their approach.
Where once there were limitless funds to strengthen, the Italian has already emphasised his commitment to youth development by admitting last month that a quintet of youngsters – he singled out Jeffrey Bruma, Fabio Borini, Gaël Kakuta, Patrick van Aanholt and the 21-year-old Nemanja Matic – will be regulars in his match-day squads next term.
Only one of those five featured here. Bruma, the 18-year-old centre-half who has made two substitute appearances in the Premier League this season, planted a free header wide early on. There were better indications of his quality thereafter but Ancelotti will have been frustrated at the ease with which Kofi Poyser leapt above the centre-half to flick in Villa's opening goal just after the half-hour. Bruma is better than that.
Of those emerging from the academy set-up, the manager has similarly high hopes for Jacob Mellis, the 15-year-old Nathaniel Chalobah and Josh McEachran. The last, who has been training once a week with the first-team squad, will sign a professional contract at the end of the season. He was a blur of clever touches here, growing into the contest. The right-back, Billy Clifford, also impressed while Conor Clifford battered in a fine late winner.
They could yet become familiar names. Ancelotti intends to follow Arsène Wenger's approach to the Carling Cup next season, cramming his side with younger blood. The team that went out of that competition at Blackburn in this season's quarter-final included 11 full internationals, with five players over 30 and none younger than 22. Given that John Terry, in the stands tonight, was the last youth-team graduate to establish himself in the senior set-up at this club, the hope is that times are changing.
Roman Abramovich wants this to happen and his sporting director, Frank Arnesen, is aware of the need to cultivate players capable of making their mark in the Premier League given the investment made in youth team development in recent years. "It's not easy for the coach to bring players in [to the first team]," Arnesen said. "A club like Chelsea is all about winning. You can't have young players in the team and not be winning."
The implementation of the Premier League's Grow Your Own policy, by which eight homegrown players – registered with an English or Welsh club for at least three years before their 21st birthday – must be included in a 25-man squad to be declared on 1 September, will effectively force their hand. "It will give clubs an extra incentive to invest in youth," the Premier League's chief executive, Richard Scudamore, said. In that context the departures of such seniors as Juliano Belletti, Deco and Hilário are more understandable.
Villa, winners of this competition in 2002 when a team that included Liam Ridgwell and Steven Davis defeated Wayne Rooney's Everton, are already an academy success story. Ryan Simmonds drew a fine save from Sam Walker before Poyser's third goal of the cup run – superbly taken after Samir Carruthers' surge and Simmonds' cross – edged them ahead on aggregate. It was a finish of which Gabriel Agbonlahor would have been proud.
Martin O'Neill will have been encouraged by his team's poise and style. They benefited from Chelsea's profligacy, Jacopo Sala dragging a shot wide of the far post and Benjamin Siegrist doing well to tip Aziz Deen Conteh's attempt on to the woodwork, before Marko Mitrovic touched in the excellent Sala's centre to put Chelsea level. Victory, confirmed by Conor Clifford's long-range shot, was harsh on Villa but will have prompted relief of sorts for Arnesen. The Premier League and FA Cup will draw the focus for now but there is clearly promise to be had in this club's longer-term future.
--------------------------------------------
Mail:
Chelsea 2 Aston Villa 1 (3-2 agg):
Wonder goal from Conor Clifford seals FA Youth Cup for Blues
By Matt Barlow
Chelsea celebrated the first of a potential three trophies in 12 days as they came from behind to beat Aston Villa in the FA Youth Cup final.It may lack the profile of the Barclays Premier League or the FA Cup but this particular piece of silverware means a lot to a club who have found their youth development policy criticised during the Roman Abramovich era.
Carlo Ancelotti was among more than 10,000 at Stamford Bridge to see Chelsea win the competition for the first time since 1961.
So was John Terry, the last product from the club's youth system to establish himself in the first team, and Ashley Cole, a graduate of Arsenal's acclaimed academy.
Chelsea left it late with captain Conor Clifford scoring the winner with a sweet strike from 25 yards in the 86th minute.
Villa led at half-time with a header from striker Kofi Poyser but Marko Mitrovic equalised after the break.
Dermot Drummy's youth team, which includes several young players acquired from abroad, have managed to create a buzz of excitement at Chelsea this season and the timing of last night's success was perfect.
Ancelotti is due to meet the board this week to discuss the summer transfer policy and the Italian has already expressed his desire to rejuvenate his first-team squad with new signings and young players promoted from within the club.
Central defender Jeffrey Bruma, who has appeared three times for the first team, is among those in this crop earmarked for a successful future, but he was caught out for Villa's opener.
There were echoes of Gabriel Agbonlahor's movement as Poyser drifted away from Bruma to head a cross from Ryan Simmonds into the net.
Bruma missed a wonderful chance at the other end, heading wide from six yards, but Chelsea were much improved in the second half.
Villa's Swiss goalkeeper, Benjamin Siegrist, made a terrific save to deny Aziz Deen-Conteh. Jacopo Sala and Rohan Ince went close for Chelsea and Mitrovic saw a header cleared off the line before he levelled with 25 minutes left.
Josh McEachran slid a pass through the back four to Sala on the left and his cross was perfect for Swede Mitrovic to supply a sidefoot finish at the near post. McEachran, a 17-year-old midfielder with an effortless range of passing and great appreciation of the game, is another tipped for an outstanding career and he stole the ball to set up the late winner with a pass to Clifford, who did the rest with a fine shot.
Martin O'Neill will be encouraged by Villa's performance. The last time he was at Stamford Bridge he saw his first team concede seven and this must have been more enjoyable, even if his side lost.
Gokhan Tore hit the bar in the closing minutes for Chelsea's youngsters who have set the tone for the first team. It is now down to the seniors to clinch the League on Sunday and then the FA Cup.
-------------------------------------------------
No comments:
Post a Comment