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Post by cadno on Oct 30, 2019 20:28:10 GMT
How'd he get on? Saw on the stats he picked up a yellow? Silly foul for the yellow, he lunged in. But otherwise a solid performance, didn't look out of place at all.
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Post by barry on Nov 2, 2019 15:25:36 GMT
5-0 up HT v Mainz.
Just might risk him for his first proper action sometime.
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Post by impeachabull on Nov 2, 2019 16:40:25 GMT
40 minutes for him by the look of it - things are looking up!
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Post by barry on Nov 2, 2019 17:01:53 GMT
Came on when they were 7-0 up.
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Post by welwyn on Nov 8, 2019 17:11:18 GMT
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Post by impeachabull on Nov 8, 2019 17:12:32 GMT
Sorry to be cheap, but can anyone with a subscription post the article?
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Post by welwyn on Nov 8, 2019 19:05:46 GMT
On the evening of Wednesday October 30, Ethan Ampadu’s long wait finally came to an end.
In the 72nd minute at Volkswagen Arena, with RB Leipzig 5-0 up against Wolfsburg in the DFB Pokal second round, he jogged on in place of Dayot Upamecano to make his first club appearance of the season.
The moment was one of relief for everyone connected to the 19-year-old. Yet it was impossible not to think he might have been better off back in London where, later that same night, Chelsea head coach Frank Lampard admitted he had been forced to play Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic in Chelsea’s 2-1 home defeat to Manchester United in the Carabao Cup because of a shortage of fit midfield bodies.
Ampadu could be forgiven for watching Lampard’s thrilling youth movement at Stamford Bridge this season with mixed feelings. When he made his senior Chelsea debut against Nottingham Forest in a Carabao Cup tie in September 2017 – a full four months before Callum Hudson-Odoi was afforded the same honour – he was regarded as perhaps the club’s brightest young prospect.
Within three minutes of coming on as a substitute, the boy who had been 17 for less than a week announced his arrival, subjecting Danny Fox to such a crunching challenge, the Forest defender had to be taken off. Antonio Conte hailed him as mature beyond his years and handed him his first start in the competition a month later, in a 2-1 win over Everton.
But the following two years have not been kind to Ampadu. The Bundesliga loan he felt represented the “perfect step” to accelerate his progression to the Chelsea first team has instead so far yielded just two substitute appearances totalling 56 minutes in three months.
Sources have told The Athletic there is no option for Chelsea to recall Ampadu in January, meaning the west London club can only hope he wins the trust of manager Julian Nagelsmann sooner rather than later.
There are reasons to be optimistic on this front. While Ampadu has been struggling for game time, the player has never let his frustration show to the coaching staff or any of his new team-mates. The attitude on show is that of someone driven to succeed. An insider from within the RB Leipzig camp has informed The Athletic how the former Exeter City trainee has impressed with his work ethic in training, talent and being so strong in the tackle.
His skills aren’t in doubt, but the reason why he hasn’t featured more is because other players are simply ahead of him in the pecking order at both centre-back and midfield.
In what sounds like a very similar scenario to what he has faced at Chelsea up to now, the coach prefers and trusts others in the line-up. As the insider explains: “Upamecano has become a world class player at the back and Ibrahima Konate plays at a high level there. Ethan can play in midfield, but Leipzig also have good midfielders here too: Konrad Laimer, Kevin Kampl and Diego Demme.”
Chelsea will be encouraged to know that despite living abroad for such a short time, he has become a popular figure in the dressing room. He has started to learn a bit of German, which has been received well.
Nagelsmann actually has a relaxed approach to whether non-German players try to pick up the language or not. The 32-year-old can speak English himself and has plenty of people on the premises who can also translate. But Ampadu making the effort has been noted.
Anyone wondering if he may be struggling to settle in a different club and country should think again. He was laughing and joking with his team-mates on the plane back from Leipzig’s 2-0 Champions League win at Zenit St Petersburg earlier this week, even though he was an unused substitute once more.
It is understood that one of the issues Nagelsmann has had over Ampadu is the quality of his passing, particularly if employed in midfield. This may come as a surprise to some readers given how comfortable he’s appeared to be on the ball when playing for Wales or Chelsea. But he has made more of an impact in training lately, which is why he was finally rewarded with a couple of appearances as a substitute. Nagelsmann likes his aggression and willingness to learn from the others.
There maybe more opportunities to come, regardless. Leipzig have started to pick up some injury problems. They are already without Willie Orban and fellow defender Marcel Halstenberg had to be replaced at half-time against Zenit.
The club have high hopes for the season and want a big squad to compete on all fronts. They currently sit third in Germany’s top division, just four points behind leaders Borussia Monchengladbach. Qualifying for the last 16 of the Champions League is almost a certainty too. They are top of Group G and boast a five point lead over third-placed Zenit with two games to go.
Still, as things stand, Ampadu is on course for a second season of registering more minutes on the pitch for his country than his club. This is a situation that is openly frustrating Wales manager Ryan Giggs.
“It is a concern, because Ethan is at the age now where he has to play,” he said ahead of last month’s Euros qualifier against Slovakia. “He’s had a few problems there injury-wise, nothing serious but little aches and pains. The last few camps he’s looked so much better in training.
“He is such a talent, it’s hard to ignore. But it’s very difficult for him to play 90 minutes and back-to-back games, because he’s not had the minutes (for his club).”
Nagelsmann has spoken positively about Ampadu in public, but that trust is yet to manifest itself in meaningful action on the pitch; his long-awaited Bundesliga debut on Saturday came with Leipzig already 7-0 up at home to Mainz.
Chelsea will hope that Ampadu’s eventual trajectory follows that of Mason Mount, who initially struggled to command a starting spot during his season on loan at Vitesse Arnhem but blossomed into the outstanding performer in the Eredivisie after Christmas.
A repeat of that scenario shouldn’t be ruled out; in his short career Ampadu has showcased the ability to force managers to overlook his youth and pay attention to him.
Chelsea’s signing of Ampadu from Exeter in 2017 caused a stir for many reasons. The fee had to be determined by a tribunal because of rules in place regarding the signing of players under 24 who are academy trained and out of contract.
Aged 15 years and 331 days, he became the youngest to ever play for the League Two club, in a Carabao Cup game against Brentford in 2016. But he refused to sign a professional deal amid interest from a number of top clubs and opted for Chelsea.
Exeter were furious when the tribunal reached a decision last year which said Chelsea have to pay just up to £2.5 million, depending on a series of add-ons being triggered.
No one was in any doubt from an early stage that Chelsea had a bargain on their hands. Conte naturally leaned towards experience during his two years at Stamford Bridge, which made Ampadu’s achievement in earning his trust – sometimes at the heart of midfield, sometimes in the centre of defence – all the more noteworthy.
“He deserves to play,” Conte said after bringing Ampadu on during a 3-0 win over Newcastle United in the FA Cup the following January. “He’s showing that in every game I make this decision, like against Everton and Bournemouth. He’s shown me he is ready to play with the right concentration and be ready physically and tactically to play at this level.
“It’s unusual for a player who is only 17 but that shows age is not important if I give you the chance to play and you repay me with a great performance. We are talking about a really great prospect for Chelsea for the present and future.”
By then Ampadu was already a full senior international, having featured for Wales in November 2017 friendlies against France and Panama. Keenly aware of his prodigious talent and his eligibility to represent England, manager Chris Coleman brought him into the fold at the earliest opportunity.
Ampadu’s bad luck began the following March. Moving between the senior squad, the development side and the under-18s to ensure a steady stream of minutes on the pitch, he broke an ankle during a UEFA Youth League tie against Real Madrid and was sidelined for the rest of the season.
By the time he returned to full fitness Conte had been replaced by Maurizio Sarri, who was a fan of the teenager’s potential but unsure about his best role.
Several clubs in the Championship, including Aston Villa, expressed interest in taking Ampadu on loan. However, Sarri insisted he wanted the Welshman to remain at Cobham for the season to work with him and the rest of the first-team squad.
Ampadu’s first three appearances under Sarri came at right-back, centre-back and on the right of a midfield three, underlining that Chelsea’s manager had not decided how best to use this versatile young talent. The sale of Cesc Fabregas to Monaco in January created an opening as understudy for the overworked Jorginho at the base of the midfield, leading to a fourth positional trial.
Sarri was sceptical of Ampadu’s suitability for the role. “In the future maybe (he can play there), but we have to work,” he said. “The player who plays in that position usually touches about 120, 130 balls [per game], and so I think we need a specialist there.”
The experiment lasted for the first hour of Chelsea’s 3-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup at the end of January. Ampadu looked uncomfortable attempting to set the tempo of the entire midfield, misplaced several longer passes and swapped positions with Kovacic at the request of Sarri before being substituted in the 65th minute.
He made just one more appearance for Sarri, as a defender – 11 minutes off the bench in an already-won Europa League game against Malmo at Stamford Bridge.
Ampadu made a positive impression on Lampard during Chelsea’s pre-season trip to the Republic of Ireland, but played just 45 minutes of pre-season before the decision was taken to send him on loan. The new manager explained he simply had too many promising young players, many of whom were more experienced, to offer him the regular minutes he needed.
Leipzig were chosen because of their reputation as an upwardly mobile, ambitious club with a track record of putting young talent in position to succeed. Then-Everton winger Ademola Lookman thrived on loan there last year and joined permanently during the summer window.
There has been no shortage of English or Premier League success stories in the Bundesliga in recent years, and the example cited internally at Chelsea as the model for Ampadu was that of Andreas Christensen, who established himself as one of the most coveted young defenders in Europe during a hugely beneficial two-year loan stint with Borussia Monchengladbach from 2015-17.
Chelsea’s loan staff are in regular contact with Ampadu and Leipzig about his progress, and it is far too early to write this off as another wasted development year.
But it has certainly been a testing few months for a young man Conte and Sarri both hailed as the “future” of Chelsea – particularly with so many graduates of the club’s academy now regularly on display at Stamford Bridge and creating a buzz in the Premier League.
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Post by johnoster on Nov 11, 2019 9:40:19 GMT
Played the last 10 on Saturday.
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Post by eppingblue1 on Nov 11, 2019 10:06:05 GMT
Played the last 10 on Saturday. More interestingly they brought him on when they were 2 - 1 up so they clearly have complete confidence in him to do the job.
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Post by johnoster on Nov 11, 2019 11:50:06 GMT
Trying to find out where he played, as he came on for their right back.
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Post by johnoster on Nov 11, 2019 11:56:30 GMT
Played in the middle of a back three.
Missed a header that led to Hertha's second goal.
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Post by manulike on Nov 11, 2019 21:13:49 GMT
Played in the middle of a back three. Missed a header that led to Hertha's second goal. ;-( If he did that under Warnock, he would have never been allowed into the stadium again, let alone onto the bench. #JustAskVaulks
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Post by walesgolfmadrid on Nov 18, 2019 15:21:04 GMT
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Post by alarch on Nov 18, 2019 16:45:17 GMT
One of the most encouraging things about Ampadu's performance against Azerbaijan is how he grew into the game. The first foul he gave away early on was a tad unlucky as it seemed to me (on second viewing) that he got to the ball first in a 50-50 challenge. The second he really needs to learn from. Had the studs up lunging challenge not been a glancing blow he would have seen red. He was also slow getting across when the Azeris cleverly switched play in the build-up to the penalty appeal. But after that initial rustiness he went from strength to strength, and there was nothing to suggest a falling off in the standard of his play prior to his late substitution. A nearly fully fit Ampadu will be a great asset, and complement Allen's ability to control the game nicely.
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Post by hooky on Nov 23, 2019 19:57:43 GMT
Chelsea should tell Leipzig to do one. They are totally wasting Ampadu's time. I heard they had injuries but he did not even get on again with the boss using 3 other subs and with them winning comfortably.
He joined the wrong German club!
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Post by welwyn on Nov 24, 2019 9:40:26 GMT
Chelsea should tell Leipzig to do one. They are totally wasting Ampadu's time. I heard they had injuries but he did not even get on again with the boss using 3 other subs and with them winning comfortably. He joined the wrong German club! Especially galling as they played a back three with just 1 CB in it (Dayot Upamecano), with a holding midfielder (Ilsanker) and a RB (Klostermann) joining him in the back 3. Plus they still managed to smash my lot 4-1!
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Post by walesgolfmadrid on Nov 24, 2019 11:55:28 GMT
Surely it's best for all parties if he gets another loan move in January.
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Post by allezlesrouges on Nov 24, 2019 13:24:07 GMT
Bale & Ramsey both didn't start for their clubs on their return from international duty. Ampadu was in a similar position re: playing time so hardly a surprise he didn't start. I think given that we have a busy festive period coming up now the situation will be a lot clearer by January. If he still isn't given many minutes by the time January rolls around, then I think Chelsea may need to take action. Until then let's just see how it unfolds.
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Post by CrackityJones on Nov 27, 2019 19:04:07 GMT
Shit the bed Ampadu starts!
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Post by impeachabull on Nov 27, 2019 19:05:31 GMT
Just saw that, cracking news.
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Post by barry on Nov 27, 2019 19:15:41 GMT
Shit the bed Ampadu starts! At center-back?
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Post by allezlesrouges on Nov 27, 2019 19:21:47 GMT
Shit the bed Ampadu starts! At center-back? Yes
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Post by walesgolfmadrid on Nov 27, 2019 19:33:09 GMT
Brilliant stuff, massive game for them as well.
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Post by barry on Nov 27, 2019 21:23:17 GMT
Ampadu subbed after 56m. Now 2-0 down. Our dear.
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Post by iot on Nov 27, 2019 23:14:34 GMT
I didn't manage to watch the game, but from reading some tweets from Chelsea fans, doesn't look like he impressed and was partly at fault for the first goal. Ah well, another 20 games on the bench...
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Post by georgetm1 on Nov 27, 2019 23:31:19 GMT
I watched the game. Ampadu had a nightmare and kept giving the ball away with stupid passes.
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Post by cadno on Nov 27, 2019 23:37:59 GMT
Difficult game for him, still forget how young he is, you've got more of a chance of getting punished if you give the ball away / close down too eagerly as a CB. CDM you have the back 4 to cover you. Good thing though, he'll learn from mistakes.
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Post by barry on Nov 28, 2019 0:12:18 GMT
Nearly December and he's given his first start and played out of position.
Then subbed before the hour.
Looks like this is becoming the disaster some of us predicted.
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Post by Baxter Cymru on Nov 28, 2019 6:17:23 GMT
Frustrating especially when his best position is quite obviously Holding midfield.
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Post by impeachabull on Nov 28, 2019 8:00:44 GMT
It's a funny one really. Three managers (Conte, Sarri, and Nagelsmann) have all deemed his best position to be CB. I think only Sarri tried him in midfield and didn't think he was good enough at the moment. That's what Sarri said after they tried him in DM position during the league cup. I agree he usually looks solid for us at DM but the truth is the DM position is much more demanding in the top leagues than at international level. Allen has always been sensational for us but never really succeed with a top club.
I think, if Ampadu is going to break in to the Chelsea line-up in the next few years, it'll be at CB, not DM.
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