Xande Silva and Nathan Holland have long been recognised as the two “young” Hammers most likely to break through into the first team.
There can probably be no better season to find out than the one that will be upon us in the next few weeks time and if we don’t then it may be getting too late for both of them.
For despite the fact that we tend to think in terms of second string under 23 players as being youngsters, in reality these two – in footballing terms are getting on a bit!
Silva has long promised to be very decent striker and made his way onto the first team bench towards the end of the season but at the end of the next campaign he will be 24.
Holland – who became Premier League 2 Division 2 Player of the season – will be 23 and neither surely can be expected to be sitting and hoping for their elevation into first team duty for much longer.
With things as they are in football right now and much talk of the Championship being the most fertile area for new signings let’s hope these two guys in particular get the chance to prove they genuinely have reached the level required to be handed their first team chances.
Absolutely agree give them an opportunity to show – we have had recent success with Ben Johnson (Ngakia) and Grady and there is no reason not to continue our proud tradition of bringing them through.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE … Manager Moyes, make it happen in the new season.
We definitely dont need to buy a new centre-forward nor wingers … with Xander, Nathan and Grady available.
Please promote them asap. And also get Josh C into the 1st team.
Please … no loans and no sales of these talents. Please.
Great article sir. God bless.
Coming on the back of probably our best U23’s team in years, we have a perfect storm…….. No money and a bunch of talented youngsters.
It looks inevitable that this could be a breakthrough season for a few of our youngsters who have had the encouragement of watching some of their teammates prove that the step-up to the first-team can be made.
The Academy is on the Rise!
We all WANT them to be good enough, but if they’re not good enough, they’re not good enough.
Hopefully Moyes see’s something in them but then, the loan system never did Harry Kane much harm so if they need another season on loan (or a 1st season in Xande’s case) it might not do them, or us, any harm. After all, Holland only spent half a season, there or thereabouts, at Oxford and i wouldn’t say he set the division alight so maybe a season at a leading Championship team could be in order?
Grady, i think, has proved his place in the squad with his season at West Brom
I haven’t seen anything in the performances of Silva other than a good attitude, that leads me to think he is ready for the first team, he is hardly prolific at u23 level. Hope I am proved wrong, because he looks like a good kid but the PL is unforgiving he may be better heading back to Portugal to develop in a first team there.
Diangana. Must keep and give some game time, would be a mistake to sell now.
Cullen. Not good enough for pl. Move on
Holland. Loan to a championship side til Jan and last chance to impress.
Silva. Looked decent then had a severe illness. Last chance this season, championship loan til Jan.