Chelsea’s Academy System Is Messy, No Real Link with the First Team - Former Under-21s Coach Dermot Drummy

Chelsea’s former Under-21s boss Dermot Drummy has warned Roman Abramovich that the academy system at Stamford Bridge is ‘messy’ and says the club’s young stars have no route to the first team. Chelsea currently have 38 players out on loan, including some of their brightest youth prospects in Charly Musonda, Lewis Baker and Tammy Abraham, who has scored 11 goals in 14 games for Bristol City this season.

Drummy worked at Stamford Bridge for five years, guiding the club to victory in the Youth Cup as well as the Under-21 Premier League title, and believes Antonio Conte will not get the chance to work closely enough with his youth prospects.

‘Chelsea have produced plenty of players up to about the Under-20 level, but then what happens? They go out on loan,” Drummy told the Daily Express.

‘It’s messy. There is no real link to the first team.

‘I don’t think Chelsea’s managers know enough about these young players. Antonio Conte or any manager that comes in has to hit the ground running fast. You lose a game and it is alarm bells. Their remit is to keep their jobs, be successful with the first team. 

‘Young players don’t always instantly succeed. Lewis Baker is a very good player. I said to Jose Mourinho, ‘You will need to tell him he’s good’. Does the manager have time for that?

‘What is the strategy at Chelsea? Is it season to season? They can’t look at their best youngster, say Charly Musonda, and plot where he is going to be in three years’ time. Because who will the manager be then? So they can’t actually say that Charly will be one for then. 

‘The philosophy changes all the time. It will be whatever Conte’s is, whatever Jose’s is. The instability is very tough on young players. 

‘But then again, do Chelsea need that, with the buying power they have? No. The buying power can paper over these things.’

Source: Metro