Harrison Ashby is one of the best academy prospects we have seen at West Ham in a long time.
And news that Newcastle were involved in trying to woo him away from us was probably as worrying, if not more so with an eye on the future, than Craig Dawson’s possible departure.
Harrison Ashby
The news that he was staying at West Ham came as a huge relief to us all but sadly ClaretandHugh has discovered that the player looks almost bound to be on his way in a year.
The full back has 12 months left on his Hammers contract and sources at the Hammers fear he will leave the club at the end of it and move to St James’ Park.
And we have been told that his agent also looks after the Newcastle manager Eddie Howe!
The Hammers are ready to offer the player a new contract but there seems little chance of the 21 year old accepting it may well be eyeing the north east as his next destination.
In the meantime this afternoon (Fri) he sent a social social media post which showed his initials and West Ham shirt number alongside a picture of him playing in the claret and blue.
Will we learn from this? A hard core of our young talent gone or going, the primary reason must be lack of opportunity. Two years of a few getting to the bench, none getting on the pitch. In this case, a real talent who could go all the way, lost to a major rival.
Moyes is a fool for almost letting another youth player go. He’s the biggest fraud when it comes to playing the youth.
Ashby will be better than Johnson, who I rate highly and will be a better all round player than Coufal if allowed game minutes. Time will tell of course but the recent injury records of both other right backs and loss of form may well let Ashby in.
Here’s hoping
Coz moving from West Ham worked out so well for Jezza Nakata …..? and Reece Oxford…. and Domingos Quina??
Problem is, Ngakia left because we would give him a premiership wage, Reece Oxford left because he played one match and left him to rot for about 3 years (he’s doing well in the bundersliga). And Quina? Did we really give him an opportunity?
Fact is we don’t give them a sniff of first team football and loan them to a league one or two side, then still don’t play them because they don’t have championship/premiership experience. We havent been the academy for 20+years.
Totally agree Pwill. To see our Academy doing the bizz only for management decisions to lose the players is heartbreaking. We lost Coventry but we’re lucky to get him back – already this season he’s had more time than before all added together. Just look – Trott, Alese, Longelo, Perkins, Okoflex, now Ashby. Woeful to have not tried any of them, now we’ve lost them.
Not sure it’s bad news. He’ll get the chance to prove how good he is in the UEFA Europa Conference League given Johnson’s set for a lengthy spell on the treatment table, If he’s as good as he thinks he is, then he’ll show that to Moyes and make himself indispensable.
I understand that it was an injury to Newcastle’s current right-back which led to them putting out the feelers for Ashby. It is a CHEAP way of getting a decent prospect for next to nothing by raiding another club’s Academy.
I certainly don’t see this situation as being as simple as it seems. I don’t hear Chelsea, Man U, Citeh or Liverpool youngsters kicking off. I wonder if anyone can remember how Pep brought Phil Foden along? When he could have virtually walked into any of the top ten sides at the time. Sometimes looking at a situation from another perspective is an eye opener.
The club should be doing everything in it’s power to convince Ashby to stay and to tie him down to a new long-term contract as he is the best prospect we have had in years, certainly better than Johnson as a full back. Moyes should be giving him opportunities by way of the Premiership match day squad, not the occasional European game, as it should be about how good you are, not your youth. Perkins has gone and Ashby will be next, and followed by the likes of Okoflex and Longelo, unless Moyes overcomes his inability to bring Academy players through. Unfortunately I am not holding my breath as, with the exception of Rooney, Moyes has an appalling track record with regard to assimilating young players into the first team.
Makes no difference if he plays for us or not as the lad shares an agent with Eddie Howe. Now if Eddie Howes agent wants to tap up a young player to play for his client Eddie Howe and the agent knows Newcastle are the richest club in the world then nothing is going to stop the boys head from getting turned.