It might be early in the season, but sitting in nineteenth position in the league is not how West Ham United fans, players or management would have envisioned the start to the ‘push for promotion’.
However, yesterday there was a big positive, overshadowed by the drab draw and more points lost.
On the face of fit, losing our best defender from last season, the Hammer of the Year 2025/6, no less, after he failed a late fitness test would normally have been bad enough to send tremors through supporters even if the Irons still had Axel Disasi on the books.
But since the centre-back cupboard was bare yesterday once Mavropanos failed to recover from his dead leg, Nuno gave a debut to eighteen year old Airidas Golambeckis.
The fact that the teenager performed so well and took to Championship football like a duck to water was evident from the fact that his workmanlike, efficient defending went largely un-noticed on the pitch. The young debutant simply didn’t put a foot wrong all afternoon.
Brilliant debutant Golambeckis
He’s been preparing for that day for a long, long time: Thirteen years at West Ham, to be exact, since the age of five.
““It’s everything I dreamed of. I’m just really happy, to be honest. What more can a player who came from five years old to now say? I’m really, really happy.
“Obviously, it’s a bit of a surprise [to be starting], but I think I’ve worked really hard and my time has come and I’ll take the chance when the gaffer gives it” (whufc.com)
For a teenager his composure looked remarkable. Whether or not West Ham manage to bring in another senior centre back, knowing that the assured, capable Golambeckis is ready and able to deputise if needed is certainly one less thing to worry about in this stressful season.
Too many youngsters have been lauded and then discarded – the Freddie Potts effect– for us to get too excited about his career just yet: But let us just say the early signs are incredibly encouraging.
Well played, young man.
Golambekis is the best thing to come out of the academy since Rice. I’ve watched him for the 18’s and the 21’s. He was captain of the U21’s part of last season and he’s only 18. Not saying he’s the next Bobby Moore (no one ever will be) but this lad is so composed on the ball, his positioning is superb he reads the game so well. He certainly could be the next Reo! Fantastic player, if he’s good enough – play him, I think he is ⚒️⚒️⚒️⚒️
Why are you only suggesting that he might deputise for Mavropanos ? If he is really as good as you suggest, surely he should replace Mav’, or Kilman !
Absolutely agree. The performance of Golambeckis was a massive positive.
We’ll known fact Nuno should use academy players more often.
Southampton. Southampton. Southampton.
Give them license to express themselves and take the shackles off.
They’re the one which will give you pace something Nuno shys away from.
Declan rice on his debut looked like he had always been there and I saw his first game for ireland he was outstanding and was MOTM.
You can see golambeckis has the same composure i think we have a gem.