our future playmaker - Josh McEachran

All Josh McEachran related topics can go here.

I honestly cannot wait until he breaks into our starting XI.

Villas-Boas recently said how Mceachran's versatility was important to the squad, as he can play as a number 6, 8, or in the future, 10. But he said he thinks Mceachran is good enough for a number 8 position, because he can pick out players with ease. Gil's complaints are answered. But it was premature to judge him after one game under Villas-Boas.

IMO, he'll be the first mid to come on if we lose a player due to injury.

Is it just me or do u guys also think that by the end of the season Lampard would be benched and McE would be a starter?

and i honestly wish that he outplays Pastore in every department possible..

If everything goes to plan, yes.

Well we can hope at least if we don't sign Luka I can see that being a real possibility

World Class.

33 second goals FTW

Man, I missed the game but loading up our match report and seeing Josh and Torres on the score sheet made me so happy.

He's been given the #20 for this season. Even if it isn't sensible considering the opposition I'm hoping he gets the start against Stoke.

So do I.

TBH I don't see 20 as a better shir than 46 but once lampard goes Josh will get 8 IMO.

“The sense of urgency is in midfield and it doesn’t have to be Luka,” he said. “We may well do something there because if we play 4-3-3 we need six midfielders in the squad – and we only have four.

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Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas was full of praise for Josh McEachran
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“Josh is one of the biggest stars at a young age and he can express himself in the most beautiful ways with quality passing and vision. His knowledge at this age is quite extraordinary.

“When you see him physically you think he will never make it in the Premier League. But his brain thinks faster and is one step ahead of the others.

“Hopefully he will help the team be successful. That’s what we expect from him and why we just need to continually get the best out of him.”

Had a great game vs Bolton reserves.

I hope he plays against Norwich. He needs game time.

I would never understand if he doesn't play vs Norwich today. Especially when we know our hunt for a creative midfielder is very bleak. Don't know why our managers seem scared to play him.

ANDRE VILLAS-BOAS has turned down Josh McEachran's request to leave Chelsea on loan.

The new Blues boss has promised 18-year-old McEachran he will get enough first-team chances this season to warrant staying at Stamford Bridge.

And the club's brightest prospect since John Terry is prepared to put his faith in a manager who is clearly working with an eye on the future.

The soccer grapevine has been buzzing about McEachran since Ray Wilkins first saw him training with the Chelsea youth team and compared him to a young Liam Brady.

But that was more than three years ago and McEachran has made only one Premier League start since.

In his first major interview, McEachran confirmed: "I did ask to go out on loan at the start of the season but Andre said he wants me to stay because he thinks I will get enough games here.

"I saw in the paper that Fabio Capello wanted me to go on loan to get more experience but Andre is my manager and if he wanted me to go on loan, that's what I'd do.

"It's not going to happen before the transfer window closes next week, but maybe it could happen in the new year."

There would certainly be no shortage of takers for the young man who saw how Jack Wilshere's career took off with Arsenal last year following a spell on loan at Bolton.

And if patience really is a virtue, then McEachran must be pushing for sainthood as he waits for his chance to shine.

Carlo Ancelotti gave him his first-team debut as a Champions League sub away to MSK Zilina last September and a number of other appearances from the bench followed.

But as Chelsea's season fell apart, McEachran disappeared from view and did not return to the side until they were already out of Europe and the title race.

He confessed: "It was a frustrating time for me. The team was going through a difficult spell and I wanted to contribute and be a part of things.

"But Carlo was under a lot of pressure at the time and I could see why he preferred to use the experienced players rather than the likes of me and Daniel Sturridge.

"When you're with a club as big as Chelsea you are always competing for a place in the team against world-class players so you know you have to be on their level just to get a game.

"It does need a lot of patience but I prefer to be with a top-class club and training with world-class players every day.

"I do feel much more a part of things under Andre Villas-Boas. He gave me a lot of minutes on the pitch during our pre-season games and hopefully I can keep doing that."

McEachran has been earmarked for big things since joining Chelsea as an eight-year-old and recently signed a new five-year contract with Villas-Boas' blessing.

And he is convinced his opportunity will eventually come, despite seeing the likes of Michael Mancienne, Scott Sinclair and Jack Cork giving up on their Chelsea dreams in recent years.

He said: "That was their decision to play at a high level somewhere else, but I want to play for Chelsea so I will keep going here.

"I have supported this club since I was a little boy and I do believe I have what is needed to succeed here.

"I've been patient all this time and I need to carry on that way.

"Chelsea has one of the oldest teams in the Premier League and the boss is clearly looking to the future.

"He has just signed Romelu Lukaku, Oriol Romeu and Thibaut Courtois, three players of a similar age to me. So we all have to work hard in training and make sure we take our opportunities when they come."

McEachran has a head start on those young newcomers as he has been part of the scene since being thrown into the first-team squad by Phil Scolari four managers ago.

He recalled: "I was 15 at the time and just about to go training with the Under-16s when the manager came over and said, 'You're with the first team'.

"I thought it was a wind-up at first. It was a big shock and obviously I was excited as well as nervous. But all the senior players were really good with me and the English players helped me a lot to settle in.

"When I stepped up from reserve to first-team level I was shocked at how quick everything was. But you get used to that after a while and physically I feel I can hold my own now. Now the senior players treat me the same as everyone else. They see me as a first-team player.

"I am part of the banter and have a laugh with the other players. But they haven't given me a nickname yet. Honest!"

That has been a strange experience for McEachran, who idolised the likes of John Terry and Frank Lampard when he was growing up and still has a football signed by Gianluca Vialli and Dennis Wise.

He said: "The coach of Chelsea's Under-9s, Robert Osbourne, got the ball for me. I was a massive Chelsea fan as a boy. It was hard to concentrate at school when all I wanted to do was play football but I was quite well behaved. Not the cleverest, but I did OK."

McEachran's parents, Mark and Julie, would drive him to Chelsea's old training ground at Harlington four times a week from their home in the Oxfordshire village of Kirtlington.

He was back at his old stamping ground this week to help promote the Just Play campaign, recently launched by Mars and the FA to encourage adults to start playing football again.

He said: "I used to watch my dad playing for the Kirtlington village team. My parents still live here and I'm in touch with a lot of my old schoolmates. I still go to watch them playing every now and then.

"My mother and my grandparents all come from Scotland but I am English and they're all fine about me playing for England.

"Winning the European Under-17 Championships with England has been the highlight of my career so far, along with winning the FA Youth Cup for Chelsea.

"But now I want to get more game time with the senior team and the boss has said he'll be playing a younger side in the Carling Cup, so that could be an opportunity for me.

"I really want it to happen for me at Chelsea. I've been here 10 years now and I don't see myself anywhere else.

"I am aware of the expectations and I have to deal with that. I know it is going to take time but I am prepared to wait.

"If the manager says I'll get games here this season, that's very encouraging."

So he wanted to go on loan...but Villas-Boas said he'll get time here. Lets see how much of it comes true.

It's good to hear, I hope AVB wants to make him a one club man.

i also hope he plays Josh tonight. Atleast as a sub.

No more substitutes. Deserves to be starting against teams like Norwich.

This would be my ideal lineup against Norwich

Sub Mikel for Romeu after 70 minutes, Malouda for Mata after 80 and Torres for Lukaku once he scores.

i doubt Patrick will play but I would love it if he did.

I'd swap Iva for Alex and Cole for Patrick too early to start rotating Cole just yet.

I'd give Romeu and Mata game time around the 65th-70th min don't know if Lulu will get any game time I really wanna see Benny play.

But for me if Josh starts it would be very awesome.

Yeah I also hope that Josh starts and Lampard rests. Malouda to start and get subbed after 50-60 mins.. MATA!!

Is he(joshie) ready? I've have to admit I hadn't seen alot of him but did a bit of research/youtubing and he looks better than I thought he was(silly me), i'd love to see him play but now with Meireles what are the chances of him getting game time?

He is ready IMO. The only thing that is missing is experience and strength, he can cope without strength and play more of a less attacking CM role similar to Modric EG Ramires position. If he bulks up he can play Lampards role.

I don't think Meireles will effect his amount of game time, From what I gather Meireles is an Attacking CM Ala Lampard. Josh can play anywhere in the midfield so he should still get gametime. Meireles will rotate with Lampard.

kick mars wrote:He is ready IMO. The only thing that is missing is experience and strength, he can cope without strength and play more of a less attacking CM role similar to Modric EG Ramires position. If he bulks up he can play Lampards role.

I don't think Meireles will effect his amount of game time, From what I gather Meireles is an Attacking CM Ala Lampard. Josh can play anywhere in the midfield so he should still get gametime. Meireles will rotate with Lampard.

Sounds good to me, i'm keen for Stud return this weekend and hopefully soon he(Josh) will get his time.

He was ready since last January.. hopefully AVB keeps to his words and lets him play some more games.