Chelsea manager Frank Lampard described the gap between the club's academy and first team as a 'no man's land' in a prophetic interview nine years ago.
Lampard, appointed in the summer, has given youth its chance amid a transfer embargo at Stamford Bridge with the likes of Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori flourishing this season.
And the former midfielder, so intimately involved with the club during 13 years there as a player, spoke candidly about the issues aspiring players faced long before he became manager.
In the interview with the club's in-house channel Chelsea TV, Lampard said: 'It's one of my biggest pet hates at the minute in football.
'I think the structure is all wrong below the first-team level for the young boys. For me, there's too much of a no man's land between youth level and the first team.
'It is only the very good - Josh McEachran - who can play and train with us every day.
'He is training at a level that I think is really beneficial because you can gauge what level you are at.
'I think there should be a more regular level of reserve football. There are a lot of other lads between the ages of 17 and 20 years of age who are just not playing.
'I think they can lose motivation, lose sight of what they want to be and lose that match fitness, you're not learning, you learn through playing games.
'For me, the system is wrong and I don't know the full answer but I want them playing football games.'
McEachran was one of the gems of the Chelsea academy around that time and made 22 first-team appearances for the club before being sent out on five loan spells over four seasons. He eventually joined Brentford and is now at Birmingham City.
Chelsea have been incredibly successful at youth level over the past decade, winning regular Youth Cups and the UEFA Youth League twice, but a regular criticism was that few academy hopefuls progressed to the first team.
However, Lampard has sought to change this since taking over from Maurizio Sarri before the start of the season, his hand forced in part by the transfer embargo imposed on the club.
Striker Abraham, 22, has scored 11 goals and contributed four assists in all competitions this season, earning himself England recognition.
Mount, 20, has shone in Chelsea's midfield, scoring four times, and has also put himself in firm contention for England inclusion at Euro 2020.
Tomori, 21, has proved solid in defence for Chelsea, while Callum Hudson-Odoi, 19, has been excellent since returning from injury.