Fezza Speaking to a parent of a kid at Chelsea's Academy today, who mentioned watching their U18s getting bullied off the park by Millwall (last night maybe) despite being full of superstars - game finished 1 - 1 and Millwall won on pens. He felt that Chelsea need a rethink as their boys just aren't ready for first team fooball, Elliott would certainly back this up, despite their skills. Felt that Reading was increasingly looking like a good option for up and coming youngsters who wanted first team minutes.
That was the FA Youth Cup quarter-final. Incredibly, there'll be only two Category One academies in the semi-final - as Bristol City play Swindon in one of the quarter-finals; Man City-Tottenham and Leeds-Liverpool are the other two.
I've noticed this with a few of our academy graduates in recent years - especially Vickers. They seem too lightweight for first team football, despite clearly being skilful.
Category One academies, their performance in this season's FA Youth Cup was:
- Manchester City (QF) - will play Tottenham (C1)
- Leeds (QF) - will play Liverpool (C1)
- Liverpool (QF) - will play Leeds (C1)
- Tottenham (QF) - will play Man City (C1)
- Chelsea (QF) - knocked out by Millwall (C2) - 1-1 (4-2 on pens)
- Crystal Palace (R5) - knocked out by Chelsea - 2-1
- Fulham (R5) - knocked out by Liverpool (C1) - 3-0
- Reading (R5) - knocked out by Man City (C1) - 2-1
- Sunderland (R5) - knocked out by Swindon (C3) - 2-1
- Arsenal (R4) - knocked out by Liverpool (C1) - 7-1
- Brighton (R4) - knocked out by Leeds - 4-0
- Everton (R4) - knocked out by Chelsea (C1) - 2-0
- Manchester United (R4) - knocked out by Swindon (C3) - 2-0
- Newcastle (R4) - knocked out by Bournemouth (C2) - 5-0
- West Ham (R4) - knocked out by Man City (C1) - 2-0 (aet)
- Aston Villa (R3) - knocked out by Burton (C3) - 3-1
- Blackburn (R3) - knocked out by Wimbledon (C3) - 1-0
- Derby (R3) - knocked out by Man Utd (C1) - 1-0
- Leicester (R3) - knocked out by Chelsea (C1) - 3-1
- Middlesbrough - knocked out by Sunderland (C1) - 5-2
- Norwich (R3) - knocked out by Leeds (C1) - 2-0
- Nottm Forest (R3) - knocked out by Grimsby (C3) - 1-0 (aet)
- Southampton - knocked out by West Ham (C1) - 1-1 (4-2 on pens)
- Stoke (R3) - knocked out by Bristol City (C2) - 3-0
- West Brom (R3) - knocked out by Bournemouth (C2) - 2-0
- Wolves (R3) - knocked out by QPR (C2) - 2-2 (9-8 on pens)