How George grabbed lifeline in Chelsea’s problem position

A £22 million move to Fulham was on track to leave Chelsea in the summer, but it was only completed late on deadline day.

The 19-year-old, who had a first-team lifeline, played a pivotal role as the Blues came back from a Carabao Cup defeat at Lincoln City.

Rob Street’s effort gave the League One side adeserved lead at half-time, but George hit a fine half-volley in the 48th minute before giving it to Facundo Buonanotte to score the winning goal two minutes later.

The academy graduate’s vital contribution to his fight for the future at his boyhood club is now in full swing.

George stepped up after struggling with his teammates as a lone striker rather than as a winger under the aggressive direction of Lincoln.

A humiliating defeat at Sincil Bank would undoubtedly have posed doubts about Enzo Maresca’s ability to manage Chelsea’s development following back-to-back defeats against Bayern Munich and Manchester United in the Champions League.

The Italian said he “absolutely” fired his players into action during the half-time break to end their comeback.

Because they are the most direct team in League One, crosses, free kicks, throw-ins, and other such situations require you to defend them, said Maresca.

“I am aware that some of them never played these kinds of games. In the first half, we had a little trouble, but in the second half, we were much better.

George was deemed surplus to requirements as Chelsea made a number of attacking signings for their squad in the summer.

He had earlier spoken with RB Leipzig about moving to Fulham, but the Cottagers chose to sign wingers Kevin and Samuel Chukwueze as a result, leading to Harry Wilson’s own collapse.

However, George’s performance as a deputy only fit for Joao Pedro’s fourth start and return could prove to be a disguised blessing.

Despite the Spaniard being called out from a loan deal at Sunderland on deadline day to replace the injured Liam Delap, Nicolas Jackson left for Bayern Munich, Maresca chose the teenager at the expense of a natural striker in the Premier League.

Guiu was eligible to play in Tuesday’s third-round tie despite being eligible as a result of a recent change in EFL regulations governing cup-tied players.

Maresca, however, said he didn’t want to risk playing Guiu because he “felt something” during Monday training.

However, George showed promise with a strong finish and poise to sign Buonanotte, who he also signed on-time for a loan from Brighton on deadline day.

Breakthrough, loan, and first team are typical paths taken by Chelsea academy graduates. Or sale, loan, or breakthrough.

In the last ten years, the Blues have acquired more than 40 native players and made $ 315 million from the sale of academy-trained talent, or £100 million more than Manchester City.

However, their most recent high-profile prospect George has bucked that trend and can see how Levi Colwill, Trevoh Chalobah, and Reece James have risen to prominence in the first-team.

George became the Premier League’s 19-year-old scorer with a 20-day strike against Fulham on April 20 at the age of 19 years and 75 days, joining Callum Hudson-Odoi as the club’s youngest scorer since January 2020 when he scored against Burnley.

The winger played more than 750 minutes in 12 Conference League games, including a goal in the quarter-final first-leg win at Legia Warsaw, along with Carabao Cup games against Barrow and Morecambe, substitute league games against Arsenal and Brighton, and more than 750 minutes in the opener.

George turned 19 in February, and he is reversing the “Chelsea” narrative thanks to a level of dedication that is unusual in a time of youth development.

One of his idols, Hudson-Odoi, was the last Chelsea player to enter the first team on a loan program in January 2018.

Up until about the age of 10, George was a “middling” player in his early years at Chelsea, according to a source close to the source.

His father hired a goalkeeper as well as a personal coach, David “Gurus” Sobers, to improve his game at that time.

George would begin his training with Chelsea in midweek, and then, starting at age 13, he would start playing in South London’s Vauxhall or Nine Elms Power League nine-a-side games.

Before returning to Chelsea on Sunday, he would practice on Saturdays once more and conduct post-game analysis with Sobers from his Power League games the night before.

As I believed I could assist him, Sobers claimed, “I used to spend hours traveling on public transportation for two-hour sessions, or longer, with Tyrique.”

We would spend hours working on one-on-one, technical, and shooting drills, and I liked how much he exerted himself.

“I’d be a bad’ referee when he played against 18-year-olds, so he would get kicked,” he said, “but I had to get up and win the ball back.”