Chelsea is out of the League Cup earlier than anticipated. Even so, the club needs to keep finding minutes for Billy Gilmour and the fringe players.
There will probably always be a group that takes glee in watching Chelsea’s own academy players struggle. They will laser in on the one mistake they made in a 90 minute game and declare them over hyped or awful. They will think the same of Frank Lampard and they will absolve their favorite players of any blame for anything. They scapegoat and they blame and they offer nothing of substance to the conversation. This is not an article for them. It is an article for Chelsea fans.
If it feels like it has been said before, it is because it has; the youth did not lose the game against Manchester United. Where “youth” begins and ends is a matter of debate but Chelsea did not fall to the Red Devils because of Reece James, Marc Guehi, Billy Gilmour, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Christian Pulisic, Mason Mount, or Tammy Abraham. Two senior players made mistakes that led to a penalty and a free kick, but Chelsea did not even lose because of them. The issues were more tactical than anything else.
But still, Chelsea lost. And because the Blues are out of the League Cup, it will be hard to find minutes for some of the younger and fringe players before the FA Cup beings for Chelsea. Even so, Frank Lampard needs to keep finding places for these players. Because despite what the boo boys say, they have shown enough to play more.
Gilmour is the standout of the academy that has yet to truly breakthrough in the first team. Against United, an unbalanced midfield that included him, Jorginho, and Mateo Kovacic was a big issue but despite the three sucking all the oxygen out of each other’s space, they were all able to showcase some of their individual qualities. Gilmour has all the makings of a player like Cesc Fabregas but with more mobility and aggression. It would not be wise to play him in that particular set up again, but he very much deserves more minutes (especially with Lampard admitting Jorginho and Kovacic need a rest).
Against United though, it was really Guehi who stood out the most by not standing out. One of the best things someone can say about a defender is they forgot they were playing because it means they made no mistakes that put the team in a bad spot. That was Guehi against United. Of course, some did take notice of his excellent passing, but the simple fact that he was never the defensive issue speaks volumes. It will be hard for him to find minutes going forward, but so long as Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen are seeking fitness, Guehi should be an option.
The Hudson-Odoi criticism is particularly hard to understand. He was not great against United and he was not much better against Ajax by the second half. Still, the same people who hounded Mount when he was on the wing and Willian for the last five years suddenly do not want Hudson-Odoi there? Not every winger is going to be Cristiano Ronaldo from the get go, especially not after that long out with injury. Lampard will keep playing him, though being a locked on starter may not be as much of a guarantee if Willian returns to form.
Batshuayi has also been steadily showing why he should play more and it is not because he out performed Abraham. Abraham will remain Chelsea’s starting striker because sometimes the role is about more than just scoring goals. But Batshuayi has shown he is very capable in Lampard’s system and can offer Lampard a good option to rest Abraham. One that Lampard should take more often than he has been.
Simply put, Lampard does need to rotate more. Not just for the sake of rotating but because he has very viable and proven options. And not just for a cup that is was not a priority for the Blues only once the club was out of it. The youth and older players on the fringe of the squad have shown they do not need to stay on the fringe until the FA Cup.
It will be up to Lampard to decide when, but they should all be options for the Premier League and even the Champions League as Chelsea approaches the winter slog. And the boo boys who have been sharpening their knives waiting for the winning run to end can return to under their rocks.