Chelsea youth are ready even if the club is not ready for them

Callum Hudson-Odoi and friends are being trusted by those outside of Chelsea. They are ready for Chelsea even if the club is not ready for them.

Callum Hudson-Odoi was due for his first appearance with the England U21s. But then, due to injuries, England needed to add some more players to their main national team side. Hudson-Odoi, without a Premier League start, was tipped.

Elsewhere, Ethan Ampadu was once again called up to Ryan Giggs’ Wales national team. He has played more minutes for his nation this season than he has his club. He is tasked to play a highly involved free roaming defender role as he shuttles between the backline and the midfield wherever there is a spot for him.

Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri is afraid of putting pressure on players so young. It appears that their national team managers do not share the same fear. And those two players are but two of many that are ready for more at Chelsea even if Chelsea is not ready for them.

The Pride of London did not set out to be so youth friendly this season. Previously, there was a sense by many that if the youth wanted a chance, they would have to earn it when they played. And this season, the youth have earned it. Never before has their seemed to be such a ready made crop of players coming up which is why it has been so frustrating to see them told they are not ready.

Hudson-Odoi has looked better in most of his appearances this season that either Willian or Pedro. Ethan Ampadu looked ready made for the professional game last season. Tammy Abraham has recently said he wants to compete at Chelsea next season and though his success has only come in the Championship, it is hard to deny he would be worth a shot.

The list goes on and on. Frank Lampard has played Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori at almost every given opportunity. Reece James is pretty much a safe bet to take home man of the match in every match he plays for Wigan. Jake Clarke-Salter is developing well in the Netherlands and Ola Aina is a key figure for Torino in Serie A.

All of that is not to mention the players currently in the academy who have seen Chelsea fail to debut a single one of their own thus far this season. Chelsea academy players are impressing versus their competition from similar clubs but the chances that Daishawn Redan, Billy Gilmour, or Charlie Brown see a first team debut this season are slim to none.

Simply put, at various levels all of these kids are ready. Their national team managers think it and their youth team managers think it. The only one that seemingly does not is the Chelsea manager who fears putting pressure on them. What he fails to realize is that they already have pressure by virtue of coming through Chelsea’s academy.

The club continues to produce some of the best young talents who go elsewhere to make a name for themselves. They will not always be Chelsea’s level because they should not be. But they are never even given a chance at Chelsea to prove that.

With a ban coming (as of now), Chelsea will need someone willing to bring the youth through because there will be no other option and no better time. What Chelsea cannot do is go through an entire ban and rely on the same older players that they are now. For whatever David Luiz, Willian, Pedro, and others used to be, they are not that anymore. It is time to pass the torch to the next generation before they go prove themselves elsewhere.

If the current management is unwilling to do that, then new management must be found that will use the talent rather than waste it.