West Ham could include five youngsters in the squad which travels to Burnley today in search of a last game victory.
We understand that Declan Rice (right), Nathan Holland, Martin Samuelsen, Moses Makasi, Ashley Fletcher could feature in the squad for Turf Moor.
With Winston Reid sidelined via a season-ending surgery on a chronic knee injury which he has played with for the past few weeks, Under 23 skipper Rice could step up.
Mark Noble, (abdomen surgery) Andy Carroll (groin), Michail Antonio (hamstring), Pedro Obiang (ankle), Diafra Sakho (back), Angelo Ogbonna (knee) and Arthur Masuaku (foot) and Cheik Kouyate are all unavailable.
Meanwhile Burnley defender Michael Keane could return for after returning to training following a knock a couple of weeks ago. However, the Clarets will be without Ben Mee, who is still struggling to shake off a shin problem.
Likely West Ham squad : Adrian, Randolph, Byram, Fonte, Collins, Cresswell, Fernandes, Nordtveit, Rice, Makasi, Snodgrass, Samuelsen, Feghouli, Lanzini, Ayew, Fletcher, Calleri,
Now would be the right time to do it anyway , regardless of injuries . A Win could see us finish 9th , I think ? . But considering we are safe , then , why not . Mind you it has Been rather forced upon us . Just hoping for a few Good signings and full recovery of those in the treatment room for next season .
COYHAMMERS .
I meant 11th . Oooops . My mistake .
Apart from Samuelsen all of those mentioned,have been on the bench and in the match day squad. Nothing new there. Bilic stopped using the youth as the season wore on last year. This season he’s been even more loathed to use the youth as the form has dipped to an appalling low. Most of his signings have lacked any edge to step up. Everton’s season has progressed as they have used their youth to great effect. It baffles most of us that we purchase a player like Fonte and we haven’t improved,the same can be said of Snodgrass,
Bilic screwed up the EL qualification with poor selections and subs last summer. He gambled on fitting in the likes of Nordveit,Calleri and Tore in a formation that was obviously wrong.
Rice will probably get 10 minutes and the end of the game today which will be of no value to anyone. Of more value will be to give him the whole game. He will probably make a couple of mistakes but no more than Ogbonna,Collins or Fonte will. If he has a great game then we will save £10M plus, much more than the couple of million saved if we go with the old guard and somehow manage a win ,nothing is guaranteed either way
Imho Oxford should have been in the starting line up every week this season, he showed his class at the start of 2015/16 & has sat on the bench for far too long. He went off to Reading only to sit on theirs. He will never get better doing this, we are one of the only teams to totally over look our youths year in year out.
Tonks & captain slow are the last two to break through & that is a disaster for the club, millions wàsted & not a single player in years, i’m surprised we are still able to attract any yongsters. We have a golden crop waiting for their chance & already Bilic has started to try to find clubs to loan them out to again.
Things don’t bode well for the youth players with that recent Gold Tweet . If ever the teenagers needed a moral booster , that certainly wasn’t it . With that kind of ambition maybe it’s time to move on .
Apart from that I can recall West Ham stating that they want to buy British . Great idea if we actually use the home grown talent but , by that tweet we can take it with a large pinch of salt . Less Tweeting and more positive action would be very welcome Mr Gold .
SAD day when the joint chairman makes statements like that about the youth !! Whos going to want be In an Academy that wont offer them a future Or the hope of one.
I wish these guys would keep their mouth shut ! And sad to say Ive been a big fan of the daves.