Charlton Youth Copy the First Team

By The Kid
September 26 2005

The Academy copied their first team heroes on Saturday morning with a 2-0 away win at Charlton Athletic. Of the two goals, coach Brendan Rodgers described youngster Anthony Grant's 25 yarder as the best he has ever seen at Youth team level.

Rodgers said "Our two goals were terrific," says Brendan. "The first was a succession of passes from the back. Jack Cork made a great run forward, created an overload in the middle of the pitch, played a great one-two, made a good combination with Dean Furman who sent a good finish over the goalkeeper under great pressure. If it hadn’t been a goal, it would have been a penalty."

Rodgers continued "The second was just an outstanding strike. A corner by Ricardo Fernandes was cleared to almost 30 yards out and Anthony Grant hit a sideway volley. He caught it on the money and it flew into the top corner. It was one of the best goals I’ve seen by a youth team player. It led to wild celebrations as you can imagine, about 100 people running to the corner flag."

For the first time this season Brendan changed the shape of the team from a 4-4-2 with a midfield diamond to a 4-3-3.

"We’d one or two people coming down from the reserves," he says, "and part of the development of the group is to teach them the two systems the manager plays."

"So this was a good moment to look at and work with 4-3-3. By the end of the year they’ll have a good, strong tactical awareness of both."

Grant was playing his second youth game of the season. Swiss summer signing Jonas Elmer was playing his first. Both had outings with the first team in pre-season.

"It was terrific," says Brendan. "We had a high pressure, and for the second week running the opposition didn’t have a shot on target."

Chelsea Team:

Russell; J Younghusband, Mancienne, Cork (c), Bertrand; Fernandes (Worley), Grant (Bridcutt); Furman; Cummings, Sinclair, Elmer (Watkins).

The Academy's next game is at home to Norwich.