15-16 賽季 U18 回顧 - 切爾西足球俱樂部 Chelsea Football Club

https://www.chelseafc.com/news/latest-news/2016/06/
the-young-generation--under-18s-season-reviewed.html

The Young Generation: Under-18s season reviewed

Sat 4 Jun 2016


The official Chelsea website sat down with Joe Edwards, manager of our
Under-18 side, to reflect on a campaign in which our youngsters topped
their regional league and won a fifth FA Youth Cup in seven seasons.


Edwards's side mirrored the success of 2014/15 in practically every way as
they retained the Youth Cup, finished first in the south section of the
Under-18 Premier League before coming third in the merit group play-off
round (for the top sides nationwide) in the final months of the campaign.


However, as the 29-year-old points out, his players have surpassed last
year's achievements in a number of ways, including remaining unbeaten in
the Youth Cup and conceding fewer goals throughout the season.


'We wanted to do better than we did last year,' Edwards said. 'We won the
south section comfortably again with more points than last season and
without losing a game at home. We also wanted to win the Youth Cup again
and, if possible, to do it without losing a game.


'In the recent past, even when winning the competition, we have lost one
of the legs in either the semi-final or final so it was great to remain
unbeaten throughout. From a collective point of view, we were able to
achieve a lot of team objectives which was pleasing.'


The make-up of the youth team group was slightly older than in previous
years, with the likes of Ruben Sammut, Mukhtar Ali, Isaac Christie-Davies,
Charlie Wakefield and Miro Muheim all featuring regularly as second-years.
It was a different challenge for Edwards and Jody Morris, his assistant,
but he is quick to praise the efforts of those players who spent their
time between two age-group squads.


'It was a good programme for the second-years because they trained most
days with the Under-21s, where they were able to constantly make a case
for breaking into that team, but they were still able to get their game
time in the youth team. It's a mental test for the older boys playing with
the Under-18s. In previous years, we've seen players getting impatient in
wanting to break through but the mentality the boys showed was excellent
throughout and they were a major part of our success.


'As the Youth Cup campaign progressed, I felt it really showed the way
that football should work. Some of those boys were not in the Youth Cup
team but the quality of their performances and the mentality they were
showing in the league games was then getting them back into the Youth Cup
side. All the players saw that and it made for great competition for
places throughout the squad.'


One of the most pleasing aspects of the youth team campaign was a
defensive resilience not often associated with the free-scoring sides of
the past. Edwards was particularly happy with seven clean sheets from 22
matches in the southern section, especially given the relative
inexperience of the defenders involved.


'We highlighted right at the start of the year that we'd conceded too many
goals last season but the biggest positive about our defensive record this
year is that we have played mostly with first-years at the back,' their
manager points out.


'The experience they gained last year as schoolboys in the team, with
people like Josh Grant and Trevoh Chalobah often involved, helped their
step up. A lot of them are ball-playing defenders but when we get to the
competitive Under-18 programme we want to start converting those
performances into what defending is all about, which is keeping clean
sheets.'


The young Blues recorded just one clean sheet on the road to a third
successive Youth Cup triumph, although their attacking exploits and goals
shared throughout the side ensured the trophy returned to Stamford Bridge
for another 12 months. Edwards recalls a tough test away in the fifth
round but highlights the ability of his players to handle the pressure of
expectation as key to their success.


'AFC Wimbledon is definitely the memorable one in terms of how difficult
it was. It's the sort of game that only the Youth Cup can produce and it
was a brilliant test for us all. We made it quite comfortable for
ourselves at a lot of stages in the tournament.


'Manchester United away early on was a big game but we made it look easy
with some really good performances. United had the likes of Marcus
Rashford and Timothy Fosu-Mensah playing and both of those have obviously
gone on to do well so it just shows the level of that performance from us.


'We spent all season trying to play down the pressure of our recent record
in the competition and just take it one game at a time but it's always
there in the back of your mind. It does become more difficult each year,
the more you're the ones that everyone else wants to beat, but it was
another incredible achievement.'


As those in the Academy regularly testify, their primary purpose of work
is to produce young, talented footballers capable of making the grade in
senior football, ideally in the Chelsea first team. Therefore, it is
individual development that remains at the heart of the day-to-day work at
Cobham and Edwards highlights the progress of many in his group as
evidence of a productive year.


'While the team successes and trophies are great, it's important that we
recognise individual success that comes alongside that as key. Ike Ugbo's
goal record has been very good this season [24 goals in 28 appearances]
and that's the third season in a row in which we've had a prolific striker
in the youth team following Dominic Solanke and Tammy Abraham.


'We've had goals shared throughout the team. Jacob Maddox has got into
double figures and both Miro Muheim and Harvey St Clair scored eight each.
Josh Grant ended the season with a call-up to the England Under-18s as
well as winning our Scholar of the Year award, which is a great
achievement for him and well-deserved as that is something which
recognises not just performance but how you behave each day both on and
off the pitch.


'We've had boys like Luke McCormick, Cole Dasilva and Richard Nartey end
the season with the Under-21s which is great for them individually and
will be a great experience for them to use moving into next season. Plus
all of next season's scholars have made their youth team debuts and been
involved, so it has been a good year for individual development too.


'The biggest measure of that is obviously getting players into the first
team so for three players (Clarke-Salter, Abraham and Fikayo Tomori) who
have played in the youth team this season to have made their Premier
League debut is also a massive positive. We can talk about winning the
league and the cup competitions but we know what we're here for and that
achievement is a real credit to them and everybody who has worked with
them over the years.'


Edwards will now hand over the reins of the youth team to Morris for the
2016/17 campaign, while he spends a year working with the club's players
on loan. The first forays into senior football can be fraught with
difficulties, though Edwards is hopeful his experience of working with
many of the players throughout the years will prove useful. He coached
Abraham and Solanke as Under-9s, along with many others during five years
working with the youth team.


'I've been fortunate to have been a part of the recent success we've had
in the Academy and so I have worked and developed relationships with a lot
of the boys who will be stepping out on loan next season.


'It's going to be a new experience for me to see what it's like as those
players make that next step forward. Hopefully I can see what we have done
in the system over the years that has prepared them well for it and what
we can maybe do better. The journey from youth into senior football is
probably the most difficult transition for a young player to make so
hopefully I can be that link who knows them well and can support them.'

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"We believe the same thing."

"Maybe there is hope."
- 9x20 The Truth

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