Chelsea looking to develop coaches as well as players

Chelsea has one of the best academies in the world. They also make extensive use of their loan system to find ways to develop talent. For the most part, Chelsea has no concrete partnership to do this. Vitesse was about as close as the Blues ever got but that relationship has waned over time. Now, the Blues tend to find relationships with coaches to foster.

This type of development happens with players, but rarely do you see clubs do it with coaches. Chelsea tends to do a good job at getting youth coaches up through the age groups but it isn’t often that it goes much further than that. Joe Edwards is one of the few in recent memory, along with Jody Morris in a more roundabout way.

Chelsea seems to be taking a new approach however. U18s coach James Simmonds will be “on loan” at AFC Wimbledon for the upcoming season. This will give him experience with first team footballers as well as make Wimbledon a potential starting point for academy players on loan.

This isn’t actually the first time Chelsea’s done something like this despite it being hailed as a “revolution”. Almost five years ago, the Blues sent then U21 coach Andy Myers to Vitesse for a season. That season, Vitesse loaned in Matt Miazga, Mukhtar Ali, Nathan, and Lewis Baker. Perhaps Wimbledon will see a similar influx. And Myers, now the development squad head coach, may see Simmonds follow a similar path to him over time.

Whether or not this hints at a relationship with Wimbledon that sees more players go their way is perhaps the most interesting aspect. Once upon a time, Chelsea regularly sent three or four players a season to Vitesse for their first taste of professional football. That could still happen, but Wimbledon could offer a closer to home alternative. Plus, if Chelsea can send coaches there, they’ll be able to have more influence on the players’ development and perhaps even the tactics.

On the surface, League One might not seem the ideal loan destination but it is likely right for most heading out on their first loan. Players like Reece James can walk into a Championship Wigan side, but others like Mason Mount didn’t go to the Championship until their second year. Wimbledon could help to bridge the gap between the academy and the first team by giving another step before the Championship (which, if Armando Broja goes to the Championship this season, there is an argument Vitesse is a similar step).

This isn’t as revolutionary as it’s made out to be, but it’s still a progressive thinking idea that creates a mutually beneficial relationship between all parties. Chelsea gains an English based club that is prime for loaned players (and coaches apparently). Wimbledon gets access to players that should improve them and that they might not otherwise have had access to. Plus, it likely gives them a competitive advantage over other League One teams interested in Chelsea players.

It’s good idea that only makes both clubs better, and one that is likely to evolve further yet.