I read a report of the game that said Franca played well, completed a few dribbles but possibly looked a bit lightweight. Does that sound about right?

I don't think anything did go wrong, they just had a bumper crop. In my memory no other club has ever replicated anything else even close.

Not all at at the same time, but Southampton felt like a production line for a few seasons, with everyone touting it as the new model to follow. But in reality that was a bit of a freak too.

A player every couple of seasons is the best you can hope for I think

Basically, yes, although to be fair, most of the youngsters looked lightweight with even Ozoh finding it tough to outmuscle the opponent.

Franca did show some good skills but tried to do his tricky dribbles too often IMO and in the wrong moments. I sense he still thinks he has show his trickery to prove his worth. He needs to focus on how best to interact with his team mates and reserve his trickery for the right moments.

Good point, they are definitely the closest. And you could add Lewis Hall to that list too.

I'd love to know what their M.O. is sometimes.

Take Guehi for example, captained England at every level, looked great at Swansea. Have they decided at 20 odd that whilst he might go on to be a full international, he's not going to be good enough for them.

Or is the pathway to the first ream so choppy, that he's said he wants to be a prem starter and pushed through a move?

I agree.

I was always under the impression Chelsea sought, procured and then sold as much 'young talent' as possible not to directly resource their own playing staff but to mitigate the reckless spending they wanted to employ in doing so.

Now Zaha's got a bit of green grass ahead of him here... and finds Ambrose... not a bad effort!!!!

As others have said adding Colwill and Hall to this list it's certainly the makings of a very strong team. But they chose to sell most of them and spend close to 1bn on quite a bit of dross. Strange.