Amongst Julen Lopetegui’s many flaws at West Ham United, the one which is perhaps most destructive to the club is his failure to play any academy-originated youngsters. The report from TheAthletic’s Roshane Thomas which detailed the facts, confirmed that West Ham have given the joint-lowest number of minutes on the pitch to club-trained players this season.
A damning indictment of the Hammers coach whose CV claims he was himself a youth team manager.
For ‘The Academy of Football’ to be bottom of the list is bad enough, but just consider for one moment this is the club who’s youth team won the FA youth cup just 7 months ago. Arsenal, the opponents on that day have already transitioned players from that match into their senior squad. West Ham – failed totally.
And as for Steidten’s “pearl diving” – maybe another who needs to look at what is in front of him before another fruitless Brazil scouting trip!
So when I see bang average players from the championship linked with January signings for West Ham, I get quite emotional when considering the young players we already have at the club who are available without a fee, just desperate for integration into the senior team.
For that reason alone I’d fire Lopetegui but then I was never known for my level-headedness.
Lewis Orford. George Earthy. Freddie Potts. There’s a whole midfield ready to go. Yet Lopetegui either ignores them or sent them out on loan. Callum Marshall and Gideon Kudua aren’t far behind. Fin Herrick in goal is every bit as good as Wes Foderingham with his whole career in front of him and should already be holding that third ‘keeper spot.
I swear that if Lopetegui had arrived at London Stadium with youngsters in the squad such as Rico Lewis or  Alejandro Garnacho, he’d have sent them out on loan. Time for a new coach, new ideas, and new faces from within the club to be nurtured not ignored.
Absolutely right in what you say. .all the club think of is getting fancy names from abroad..this isn’t what we about
..we’ve got to the stage where we are West ham in name only ..
Well said, Martin!
I was wondering about the time Sullivan said that he was highly impressed by Lopetegui at his interview for the coaching position at West Ham. Does that mean Sullivan can speak Spanish or that Lopetegui had a translator with him? Maybe it was one of those apps on a mobile phone.
We do seem to be BOTTOM of several stats published about this and that, eg:
Clubs giving Premier League minutes to academy trained players.
The youngest squads in the Premier League.
The most pressing teams in the Premier League. (We’d be the most DEpressing team!).
The fastest Premier League team on the pitch.
Goal attempts in the Premier League.
Affordability of food and drinks at the stadium.
I’m sure there must be other stats that I have forgotten where West Ham are ‘proudly’ sitting at the BOTTOM of the ladder. 🤔
Actually they won the FA Youth Cup one year and 7 months ago. Time flies hey…?!
amen!
Spot on mate, we all see it but that wally of a new manager doesn’t.