Former academy chief Terry Westley is delighted at what he’s saying from the Hammers this season but is a tad concerned at one or two situations affecting the manager and younger players – one in particular. And in his exclusive CandH blog he explains what’s on his mind and where the squad may be heading this season.
By Terry Westley
I saw a piece here earlier today which set me thinking!
It concerned Josh Cullen and the success he is enjoying at Anderlecht where he has been an ever present in the team since leaving the Hammers.
Josh might well have stayed at the London Stadium but at 24 he knew he needed to be playing football on a regular basis and it’s worked for him. The same may soon be being said of young Nathan Holland.
The boy has been very unlucky with injuries but he’s now fully fit and by the time he reaches his next birthday in June he will be 23 years old.
He needs to either make a West Ham breakthrough or go the same way perhaps as Josh. Time is passing by and I would imagine he’s likely to go out on loan to a decent Championship club this month.
He’s training with the first team and is therefore in a ‘bubble’ that would allow him to play in Monday evening’s match at Stockport but frankly I don’t see it happening.
David is very aware of what the FA Cup means to Hammers fans and I don’t see him ‘weakening’ the team very much at all so if Nathan is going to break through he will almost certainly need a very impressive loan spell at a very good club.
The manager is doing a quite outstanding job and personally I think it is about the right time to offer him a new deal. I don’t see a lot of point in hanging around.
It seems very much as though he is taking control of all footballing matters at the club and is putting a scouting network together quickly.
He has assembled a fine backroom team and there’s no way I see the club being outside the top ten this season and with the way things are once you are in that top ten there’s every chance of making the top six.
These are very exciting times to be a Hammer.
Terry was talking to Hughie Southon