Expert Opinion

mceachran-13-jan
13Jan

Will Chelsea come to regret their lack of faith in McEachran?

by Mike Calvin avatar

Imagine this, Chelsea fans. You have a favourite puppy, reared from a runt rescued from an animal sanctuary. It is precocious, loving, loyal. It doesn’t ask for much, apart from food and shelter. One day, it may develop into a champion at Crufts.

What do you do? A no brainer, surely. You cherish it, nurture it, pamper it. You take pride in its progress. You make sure it gets enough exercise. And that’s where reality sets in. Chelsea is not run on the same principles as Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.

Football is a dog-eat-dog world. Everyone agrees about the potential of Josh McEachran. No one at Chelsea, it seems, can guarantee him undivided attention. André Villas-Boas pays lip service to his promise, but has evidently decided he is surplus to his immediate requirements.

McEachran will no doubt flourish on loan at Swansea. Brendan Rodgers, their manager, may yet turn out to be the most substantial of the young coaches inspired by José Mourinho, during his time at Chelsea. He’s certainly made a better impression on the Premier League this season than AVB, the most conspicuous member of the Special One’s erstwhile support staff.

Defenders of the faith will highlight the way Daniel Sturridge, an unqualified success at Stamford Bridge this season, has flourished since a similar loan spell at Bolton last season. Arsenal were delighted with the grounding given to Jack Wilshere by another temporary move to the Reebok.

But the principle, of loans between Premier League clubs, is unsustainable. At best they are marriages of economic convenience, such as Emmanuel Adebayor’s subsidised move to Tottenham. At worst, they are cop-out clauses, used by managers fearful of gambling on talented prodigies.

McEachran is quietly dismissed by some at Chelsea as being a little too lightweight for the attritional demands of regular Premier League football. I’d argue that his craft and vision is precisely what a transitional Chelsea team lacks.

Supporters have an undervalued affinity with home-grown players. John Terry may be a divisive personality, but Chelsea fans rally behind his leadership, because of his background as an academy product. McEachran is also regarded as one of their own.

I’ve no doubt he will excel in exile. But will that be enough for McEachran to earn his keep at Stamford Bridge? It had better be. Otherwise a pedigree player might, one day, bite Chelsea in the backside.

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Comments

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  • Markus

    Is this a joke?

  • Jonny

    LOL what a stupid article.

  • Franco

    Oh dear! He’s an 18 year old kid…Do you really expect him to walk into the Chelsea first team?

  • Chelseafcsw6

    Brilliant article from a well informed journalist. I also agree that it could bite them big time. I didn’t like it when Scott Sinclair left . 

  • kaka

    what AVB has done to josh is the right thing.
    Consider the game against liverpool where josh was injured after he was constantly targeted by them. He needs to play week in week out which he may not get in chelsea considering the situation they are in . So playing regular premier league football with a team where he could be stress free is a really good move.

  • DJ SAV

    Mike Calvin, it is journilists and reporters like u that cause managers to be sacked and players been unsettled at their clubs. The amount of crap u talk is unbeleivable. If u know anything about football u would know how englands great talants have improved their games from playing week in week out. This is a project that clubs use to boost the players for the future who will represent their family club and country for many years to come. Just look at Jack Wilshor at Arsenal and Danial Sturridge with us. So wht AVB is doing with Josh is the same, so why are u sniping at Chelsea and boss himself for letting him be loaned out. Despite the crap your talking Josh McEachran is Chelsea’s future and Lampard’s future replacement. He and Jack Wilshor will be Englands brightest midfielders for our national team for the future. Daniel Sturridge will also be Englands future strikers along with Danny Webber at United. Its so strange how we are being knocked for having one bad season, over the years we have always challgened for the title and in a season were we are going through a transition period we are being slated by the stupid press and the stupid so called football pundits. United are also going through problems at the moment along with City but know one dares criticize’s them. I guess they call this bias journialism. When Arsenal were going through their crises they were been knocked just how Chelsea are now. Spurs seem to be going on a great run and seem to be every neutral favourite team how long before they start been knocked if they start getting a bad run of results only the biast experts and journilists know the answer. As a Chelsea fan if we cant win the league this year, i hope Spurs do only cause i dont want to see any of the Manchester clubs wining it. Finally we are getting Cahill i hope Hazard deal will be after, in terms of young talent to come in for me Ocampos will be a great addition if we get price him away from river plate.
    Big up the blues!!
    Chelsea for life
    DJ SAV!!

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