Leaving was always on the cards for him with goalkeepers around him performing better, he has already found himself a Haxhia, Haxhia has been on the verge of leaving the club for a long while, his standards has never been high enough but with an injury to Sam Walker he was kept around for a while still.

Next to leave is right back Nana Ofori Twumasi, who is one who really struggled to make it a level higher and make an impact at reserve level let alone on loan, Ofori Twumasi however , has managed to find himself a club already and one at a higher level than many would have expected at Peterborough. Nikki Ahamed is the other right back to move on, Ahamed I always thought had good potential but it never really kicked in to that higher level and with some excellent full backs coming through the club they have taken the view to let him move on.

Finally we see Liam Bridcutt and Kenny Strickland move on. Liam has been with the club for a very long while and at times seemed to have good potential, however, never making it on loan and struggling to keep up with other players at the club when back sealed his fate. Currently trialling at Crystal Palace he may be lining up against us tomorrow afternoon. Lastly Kenny Strickland, a player who came in as cover only and never really looked on the right level was always going to be moving on this summer.

So those are the players that we have seen depart. The next big chance is to the actual format of the Reserves league. This has finally been revealed in the last couple of days. This is massively long overdue and is still not enough in the eyes of people who follow the Reserves. What this means is that the league has been split into three groups, one southern group and two northern groups. Chelsea will play every team in the southern section home and away, plus they will play each of the northern teams once with the games split evenly between home and away. This means an increase in just four games from 16 to 20. This is still no-where near enough games when what you want is them to be playing over 30 games a season to really continue their development. Still it is a step in the right direction.

So what can we expect from the Reserves this season? Well as always Steve Holland will have to compete with working with different players all the time, we will see the young players making first team appearance getting game time in the Reserves, first team players who are back from injury, the group of players moved up from the Youths who can no longer play for the Youths and Youth players making early in roads. Still there will be a core of players around mainly being the players who are moving up from the Youths, players like Lalkovic, Kaby, B Clifford, Aziz Deen Conteh, Rohan Ince, Marko Mitrovic etc. This is a successful group of players who have worked very hard to be where they are and now they need to make the next step and show that they can cut it with the big boys.

With a lot of players moving on and more to go on loan we have a very good core group of players to play with the Reserves this season, so let’s hope we can see some good things from this group of players, and when we come to Man Utd, Man City and Liverpool let’s hope we make a good account of ourselves and show that Chelsea is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to Youth players.

Related posts:

1. Youth Team – Season Preview Part 1
2. Youth and Reserves Into 2010
3. Watford Youth 0-4 Chelsea Youth

Having lulled us into a false sense of optimism after beating the mighty Slovenia, England were totally humiliated by one of our greatest rivals and basically played like a pub team. The boys blame Capello for a poor use of players and the wrong system rather than what should have been Super Frankie Lampard’s first World Cup goal for England.

We think that Capello should take the fall for not getting the best out of the so-called Golden Generation, but who to replace him? The usual suspects are mentioned, but in a moment of inspiration Chidge makes the point that if Argentina can achieve success with a troubled and crazy genius in Maradonna, then why can’t England? Gazza must therefore be the only choice for next England manager. At least the players will have a laugh and be able to enjoy a beer. It could hardly be worse than what we’ve got!

With the World Cup effectively out of the way, the Chelsea FanCast can now get back to what counts: Chelsea. The boys preview the pre-season tour of Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Hamburg and errr…Crystal Palace. Only 2 weeks to go!! We also look at the latest transfer gossip and ‘Moody Blues’ a great Chelsea book following the 2007/2008 season written by James Clarke.

No Dr Mart this week, but fear not, Ross answers your questions in “Dear Mart” including the lack of gratuitous TV shots of fit women during the World Cup, decent USA players and media bias against JT and Chelsea players. Finally Chidge reads out the best posts from the website and facebook group in “You’re on CFFC”.

Click To Listen

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As I have already said, in this review I will be starting at the U18’s level. Last season was a major success for Chelsea at Youth level, finished extremely well in the league, but most importantly, as I am sure you are well aware, they managed to win the FA Youth Cup, the pinnacle of Youth Football in this country. So there is a lot to live up to for the young lads making their way into the Youth team this season.

As with last season there is a big difference between the players that play week in week out in the league and those who play in the FA Youth cup. Most of the Youth Cup team will be playing more reserve football than Youth football. As has already been reported there is a new intake of players for the Youth Academy so I will start by covering those players who have signed on as first year scholars, some you have seen and heard of before and some you will not have heard of.

Let’s start with the only “import” of the season so far, Amin Affane. Affane is an attacking midfielder from Sweden described as a skilful playmaker, hopefully we will see him pulling some strings in the attacking third and living up to the billing given by signing for Chelsea. Next up is Todd Kane, Kane is a right back and featured at times last season for the U18’s so will be expected to be a regular feature this season, his attacking instincts will liken him to Ashley Cole and we can only hope that he can live up to a similar level. Reece Loudon is next up, Loudon has already made a reserve appearance when options were very slim. He is a left midfielder who has played at left back, again has lots of ability, we will have to see how he is used in the coming season.

The next of the group is a familiar name at both Reserve and Youth level. Danny Mills Pappoe has unbelievably only now turned a first year scholar which shows how well he has done up until now to have played so many games at Youth and Reserve level. Next season he needs to build on his success, really dominate his position and show that he can continue to be such a powerhouse at centre back. Archange Nkumu is a name you may not be familiar with, Nkumu is a defender/midfielder who is very composed on the ball and gets about the pitch well, like all the players at the Chelsea Academy he is well thought of. Jamal Blackman is the goalkeeper stepping up this season, yet to play for the Youth team but having represented England at various levels Jamal has a lot of potential, but also a lot to live up to as Sam Walker had a very good season last year, hopefully he will show the same potential. Danny Stenning is the last of the new scholars. Stenning is a midfielder with excellent technical ability and has an eye for a set piece, a player who could be very interesting to watch this season.

On top of these scholars I think we can expect to see some schoolboys playing at times and especially near the end of the season. Names to look out for are Nathaniel Chalobah, a name I am sure most are aware of, I think Chalobah will be a pretty regular feature in the Youth team even though he is still only 15. Other players who could make appearances are talented French forward Yann Gueho and midfidler John Swift who have already made some appearances for the Youth team.

As well as the new players we will have the second years who will look to really establish themselves this season and start to make a name for themselves like previous players have. In that bracket are players like Anton Rodgers, James Ashton, George Saville, Bobby Devyne and Phillip Prosenik just to name a few. Again there are a lot of very talented players in this group and like previous players to make a name for themselves I am sure at the end of this season there will be a number of these players on the lips of Chelsea fans as future first team players.

Can this season be as good as the last or better? To be better they will have to retain the cup and win the league, it is a very big ask. But one thing is for sure and can be guaranteed, as always with the Chelsea Youth Team it will be extremely exciting. And as always you can see all of the highlights here on Talkchelsea and on my Youtube page.

Related posts:

1. Youth Team – Season Preview Part 2
2. Youth and Reserves Into 2010
3. Chelsea Youth 1-0 Portsmouth Youth

The Blues will host the newly-promoted Baggies – managed by Chelsea legend Roberto di Matteo – at Stamford Bridge on August 14th and end the season with at Goodison Park against Everton.

The truest challenge of Chelsea’s mettle will come in December where they face the sides who finished 2nd, 3rd and 4th over the space of 18 days.

And within that same period the Blues also face a home game against 8th-placed Everton; a fixture which Chelsea haven’t won since the 2005/06 season with the last four meetings at Stamford Bridge draws.

The Blues are at home to Arsenal in early October and away to their London rivals on Boxing Day, and mid-November will see the first Chelsea-Fulham derby.

http://www.chelseafc.com/page/FixturesAndResults/

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Mutu was sacked by former manager José Mourinho in 2004 for failing a drugs test and his contract was terminated with immediate effect.

Chelsea paid Parma £15.8 million for Mutu in August 2003, but sacked him when he tested positive for cocaine before suing him in a bid to recover the money lost in his transfer.

A statement read:  “In a ruling on June 10, 2010, the Swiss federal court rejected the appeal formed by Adrian Mutu against the decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

“The CAS ordered the Romanian professional footballer to pay a sum superior to €17 million to his former employer, Chelsea Football Club Limited (Chelsea).”

However with reports of Mutu being bankrupt, how much money Chelsea receive is to be seen.

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Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard and John Terry all played the full 90 minutes for England but were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw with America, whilst Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda of France were both denied by the ten men of Uruguay.

And Serbia’s Branislav Ivanovic was on the losing side as Ghana – minus Michael Essien – recorded a key victory in Group D.

England’s draw, coupled with Slovenia’s win over Algeria means that Fabio Capello’s side have a lot of work to do to progress, although they will take solace from the fact that all of the big names at the tournament – namely France and Argentina – have so far failed to deliver.

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The pacey winger, a star of Chelsea’s youth academy, enjoyed a brilliant season in the Dutch Eredivisie with Twente where he won the title having scored 12 times in 45 appearances for the club.

Stoch had featured only five times for the Blues first team since his move from FC Nitra at the age of 16, all coming under the management of Luiz Felipe Scolari.

The Slovakian enjoyed a superb cameo performance against Stoke and effectively turned the game in Chelsea’s favour. He also impressed in a 3-1 win over Watford en route to the Blues lifting the FA Cup in 2009.

He joins Turkish Super League runners-up Fenerbahce for a sum in the region of £7 million. Fenerbahce lost out on the title last season by a single point and faced the Blues as recently as March 2008 when the two sides met in the Champions League.

TalkChelsea wish Miroslav the best for the future.

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Both players were out of contract and largely expected to sign new deals, but owner Roman Abramovich has been conservative in his approach towards the two players.

In a contrast to the recent past, Abramovich has cut down on wages and was not willing to offer either injury-prone Cole nor 33-year-old Ballack the contracts they wanted.

Cole was signed by Claudio Ranieri as one of the first players of the Abramovich revolution for £6.6 million, playing 282 times for the club. Ballack amassed 168 appearances in his four-year stay.

Cole was voted Chelsea’s player of the year in 2008 after a number of fine performances and he also scored a crucial goal at Old Trafford to help the Blues towards the title.

Ballack scored his last goal for the club in Chelsea’s 7-1 win over Aston Villa in March and will be remembered for his role under Avram Grant as club captain for a short period.

Everyone at TalkChelsea would like to express their thanks and gratitude towards both players for their respective roles in helping the club secure the Double, and wish them the best for the future.

We all also wish Ballack the speediest of recoveries after his injury in the FA Cup final last month.

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2. Cole included in England squad
3. Joey Cole Inspires Title Charge

Belletti has featured 94 times for Chelsea since his cut-price move from Barcelona in 2007. Signed by José Mourinho, Belletti has played for six different managers in the three years he has spent at the club.

In truth, Belletti was already a Blues hero by the time he came to Stamford Bridge after having scored the winning goal in the Champions League final for Barcelona against Arsenal, and goals against Tottenham and Wigan in his impressive first season earned him his own White Stripes-inspired chant.

Belletti has featured in a number of positions in his Chelsea career, including right-back, left-back, centre midfield and right midfield, and his versatility made him a popular option under Luiz Felipe Scolari in particular.

TalkChelsea wish Juliano the best of luck for the future, and thank him for his contribution to the Chelsea cause.

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The out-of-contract Chelsea star was the only player to feature the full 90 minutes as Capello used 21 of his 23-man squad; only Gareth Barry and David James did not feature for the Three Lions.

The deadlock was broken after just 3 minutes by Jermain Defoe but England were largely lethargic but for Cole’s alacrity, and it was apt the midfield ace was the man to extend England’s lead after the break.

Half-time substitute Wayne Rooney sealed the win with a smart finish after good work by the impressive James Milner.

Whilst the game was a mere training fixture and caps and goals are unofficial, Cole can be particularly satisfied after a tireless performance on the left wing.

The Chelsea midfielder recently impressed in England’s 2-1 win over Japan whilst playing in a spare role behind Wayne Rooney, and his energetic display on the wing underlines his importance to the squad.

And England’s second half performance was hugely encouraging – despite the majority of those playing expected to be left out of the starting eleven for Saturday’s clash with the USA.

Frank Lampard, John Terry and Ashley Cole all started the match and were rested for the second period; the former coming close to scoring in the first half with a rasping drive.

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