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