As with the first win under Graham Potter, so with the first defeat. When West Ham triumphed over Fulham, much was written about not getting carried away: The relief was palpable but the game was handed to West Ham by Fulham mistakes – brought on by decent pressing. But clearly not every team is going to be as generous in handing opportunities on a plate.
However it also means that the reaction to a defeat at home against a decent Crystal Palace side also needs some perspective. It doesn’t mean the whole Potter revolution is derailed because half the first team are injured and the team were soundly beaten.
Behind the scenes, it is clear that huge changes have taken place which, in spite of what was on display yesterday, give grounds for optimism.
Yesterday’s debutant Lewis Orford spoke after the game and identified very clearly one of the culture shifts which has taken place – one which might not be evident to onlookers but which can have huge benefits to the club in the months and years to come. Graham Potter’s arrival and stated aim to bring forth young talent now gives West Ham’s academy players a real opportunity to shine and that ‘pathway’ to the first team.
Mark Noble spoke on this very subject last year and described his ambition to see such a mechanism in place: It looks as if the block to youth development which Lopetegui represented has very swiftly been dismantled.
As Orford commented, whilst describing his pride at making his debut to whufc.com, that his example was:
“Great for all the other lads in the academy – if they’re good enough they know they’ll get the opportunity”. Contrast that with the approach of Potter’s predecessor who gave not one single minute of match time to an academy-trained player in the first half of the season.
Under Graham Potter, the future is very bright indeed for the likes of Kaelan Casey, George Earthy, Freddie Potts and who knows, even Callum Marshall and the next rank of youngsters in the youth academy seeking that breakthrough. Orford and yesterdays other young substitute Ollie Scarles are showing the way.
Now maybe If West Ham can find a way of coping with their squad deficiencies and injuries through the next six months by loans or purchases – then there are much better times beyond.
Agree completely, if you look at the teams that integrate youth earlier into the first team, like Arsenal, City, historically Man Utd some of those players would never get near a first team elsewhere because they are surrounded by world class players that can cover for their mistakes. In our case it has been forced on us by necessity we don’t have enough world class players, so maybe a different strategy is required, a longer term one where we bring on the youth at the potential cost of european finishes for a few seasons, this season we aren’t realistically going to finish in Europe we are 4 wins away with 16 games left, we are highly unlikely to get relegated so lets bring in the young blood for longer each game, including Guillherme if he isn’t getting transferred out and get them to establish the system before the end of the season, if we can get youth players on loan back that aren’t starting much lets do that too if they have potential and put a skeleton or at least a spine of our best players and at least 3 youth players per game to give them exposure and if they aren’t good enough find out early while potentially putting them in the transfer window.
For transfers, players like Dewsbury-Hall and McAtee should be prioritised, they can walk straight into our first team and like Declan Rice have the potential to develop quicker into expensive first team players, they will also have the experience of not succeeding elsewhere that will increase their hunger to prove themselves, resilient players are greater than brittle geniuses and more consistent when you are under the gun to teams with higher quality players.
If we can grow a capability such as Brighton’s or Brentford’s to establish a pipeline of talent that can create wealth when added to our excellent academy it will generate more enjoyment and excitement for us as fans to see these young talents blossom in system’s like Potters, Slots or Guardiolas making us less susceptible over time to the situations we have had with previous negative managers. COYI !!!
JLo actually gave premier league debuts to Casey and Scales.
So credit to him he gave them an opportunity.
Yes I think we give Potter the time to build and don’t get too hung up on results, there are signs already of a playing style and that is a guide. We must let the academy guys come through, they may be our next Moore,Noble or Rice. What I don’t understand is the reluctance to give the academy lads a chance yet go out and spend £25m on an 18 year old from Brazil, and then possibly let him go without actually giving him game time and maybe sold at a possible lose?
We have spent or wasted a lot of money,depending on how you view itand still haven’t got a decent blend of players together so we really need to give our transfer/buying system a overhaul.
Agree with all comments here and it was gratifying on Billy Bonds stand yesterday the rumours of approval at young players being sent on. I think many of us will be content with a short term downturn in overall performance to get back to our roots. If Brentford and Brighton can do it plus Bournemouth yesterday put in fabulous performance at Newcastle with 11 senior players injured in a small squad!
Meant murmours not rumours!
great news but I dont believe much will change until STIENDTEN has his marching orders He has far to much self belief and a very large ego which so far has cost us and not only in money
You changed your tune.
Good, but the most important point is this: Declan Rice aside, no academy players that have left us in recent years have gone on to be premiership level.
This suggests that it’s not just a case of giving youngsters first team minutes — there are other factors. I’m sure this is something Noble will look at.
Not many of them were given extended opportunities Spindrift which may or may not be one of those factors ?
Moyes said they weren’t ready but the thing is with improvement some players can raise their game when put in the firing line and others need more time so it is definitely high risk and at the same time high reward for the few like Rice that can do that.
For the others you risk their whole future if they go into their shell but lets be honest we haven’t seen any significant financial return from any of those anyway so there isn’t much to lose by delaying finding out and if safeguards can be created to protect them in case they have a shocker, such as a safe to fail environment where they aren’t punished for making mistakes then that can mitigate the worst of it. As an example of that Pep Guardiola with John Stones or Liverpool with Trent Alexander-Arnold when Stones first came into Pep’s side he was making mistakes left right and centre that led to goals, Pep kept selecting knowing that is the best way to learn, similarly with Trent at Liverpool defensively, if they show enough quality on the field it’s worth persisting and taking them out of the firing line like a Moyes or Allardyce would isn’t going to cut it.
Having said all of that, those other factors may be that they genuinely aren’t close enough, though a player like Noble or even Potter as a manager should know if they are close enough to bridge the gap with experience. Rice as an example wouldn’t have got the chance but for injuries he took it, similarly Reece Oxford, one kicked on, the other went backwards there is no guarantees it usually depends on what happens between a players ears when they have a bad game, do they take it on and turn it into improvement or do they negatively talk to themselves.
The academy for every club is going to be very important now , especially with the psr rules , sell a academy player for 30m will work wonders for psr, this is the only way clubs like West ham will be able to free up money for transfers, so the academy is now so important, and we now have the right man in charge to help these academy players reach a point where a sale will help the whole Clun, because we are a feeder club and always will be until we get proper owners
Mark Noble is correct as always! Our Academy has always been important in the Past! and must be again. Mark is Mr West Han! I hope Graham Potter can deliver, I feel he has the potential, what is worrying is as for far too long, the way the club is run, by the man at the top, some really poor signings, and money never available? other clubs must laugh at us
Scarles played against Brighton and Bournemouth. Casey played vs Bournemouth too. I’m as delighted as you are mate but facts are facts.
“Money never available?”………
For a club outside of the Quatar, Saudi, etc bottomless bucket of money we have spent loads. The problem is very much how that money has been spent.
Good article, a lot of positives there. The fans have been crying out for the Academy players to get a real chance at first team football. It is starting to pave the way for the youngsters. We have to be patient as a lot of damage has been done to the players morale just lately which is no fault of their own. Could they really understand what Loppy was saying let alone his coaching. I couldn’t understand a thing he was saying!!!! I think Potter is the right guy to improve the team when all are fit difficult job.at present!