Hammers assistant boss Nikola Jurcevic admits he was impressed with Academy stars Declan Rice and Nathan Holland during last night’s (Fri) Betway Cup first leg against Werder Bremen.
Rice was clear man of the match pick for most people with Holland showing great skill and potential on the wide right of three attacking midfielders.
And afterwards Slaven Bilic’s No 2 said: “Both of them were good today, but not only today, they were good during the training sessions and in some friendly games in Austria with Fulham and Sturm Graz.
“They are young, they are fresh, they have some quality and they have been a really positive surprise in this pre-season camp.
“For me personally, Nathan was really good as he was in our last friendly games. Against Werder, he tried to go one-against-one in many situations. He’s a very dangerous player, very quick, but also very, very young. Together with Declan, he showed maybe we can think also about him.”
But once again the finish touch was missing and Jurcevic said: “We saw some positives in the second half in terms of ball possession, good ball circulation but we must make more chances to score goals.
“For some players, for example Jose and Marko, this was their first game back in pre-season and we’re expecting some injured players to come back, so we’re optimistic for the future.”
With the Hammers playing the ball on the floor for much of the game a change of style looks on the cards and the assistant boss said: “First we will see how our system will be with Chicharito because we also have Marko Arnautovic, but without Carroll we must change our style because we don’t have one big centre forward who plays mostly in the box, enabling us to play the long ball.
These players have quality and I hope we will be better than last year.”
Still bigging up the doll ??? So sakho isn’t a big lad up front, you know the one who stretches defenses to the max while Carroll stretches for the long ball in hope , what a coach 😂 , I’ve had my doubts about the vision of bilic and his no 2 😤 even though I wanted bilic here 100% and still do but start doing crazy things again like last year and that will change for me😎
The pea and sakho sounds good to me in a 3-4-1-2 ish , the doll needs to be put down , total waste of space 😈 try getting sigurdson or a like player and just maybe we will make more chances , how can they not see this 😎 it stands out a mile ffs ? The long ball ? No mate we don’t want that we want to watch football with some hard graft and creativity Brooking / Devonshire , benayoon , berkovitz , comes to mind , long ball ! Poke it mate we need lanzini + 1 in there 😂
Rant over 😉
Agree 100 per cent Lazarus. Somehow or other they’ve got to get shot of Carrroll.
The Poppodom won’t be going anywhere because no-one wants him😡😡 But he’ll come back eventually score a couple of goals and then the China doll appreciation society will be spouting how’s he unplayable on his day, saves us from relegation, is a legend blah blah blah just like it is every bleeding year 😆😆
where does it say we will be playing the long ball? I’m reading it as the style will be changed because we haven’t got Carroll & we wont be playing the long ball, along with we played on the floor for much of the match.
Read it again Essex , its in there , just like much of last season when ? And I’ll say it again when the doll was on the park , when zaza was on the park , when caller I was on the park ,
Etc etc etc randy long ball 99 from 100 , I don’t want it at any time , its a no brainer, long ball 50-50 out from back 100% , can’t be assed with it Essex,
My main point was the accommodation doll and sakho who is a ghost , with a rant!
Yes GW a saviour in our time 😂 the new coming of the Messiah 😂 enough is enough of the xxxx man😈andhis deciples 😂😂
You’re also right in what you say Essex 😉 they have been playing the short ball in the last three but nothing and no one can do anything with it apart from lanzini 😉
He is saying without Carroll we cant play the long ball so need to adapt to a different style.
Go to Specsavers or stop the whiskey for breakfast Walton Junior 😂😂
You all know we must keep Poppodum because he single handedly saves us from relegation each season.We are doomed without him 😁
Time to find some 🍺&🐈
😋
I was going to join in the debate but I don’t want to interrupt Laz 😂😂
Off for an afternoon of 🍺&🏏
😂 I know that rads ,just piscsees me right of even hearing the messias name , no chance of the whisky , doctors orders , its rabid juice 😈 not that I need it 😂😂felt like a rant so had one😉 now a beer that’s a different story , within reason🍻 good night radai 😂
Fek me that’s a first 😂 I thought you were powered by Duracell 🔋🔋🔋👅
Holland is even better in the middle of the park than out wide, I can’t really think of many midfielders I have seen with that talent if he continues to improve he will be a great player so hopefully Slav will be able to introduce him for some minutes this season.