Fair play to www.foreverwestham.com who have come up with some very well needed comments on the lack of youngsters who came through to first team level under Sam Allardyce.
The site quotes Under-18 coach Mark Phillips as saying it was “hard work” to get the former manager (still sounds good) to notice exciting prospects.
And it adds: ‘Despite co-chairmen David Gol d and David Sullivan announcing in January they wanted to see Academy talent given a chance in the first team, only 18-year-old Reece Burke was given any real game time during the second half of the season.
Given the somewhat insipid end to the season, there seemed to be growing frustration amongst fans and senior figures at the club towards Allardyce’s refusal to blood players such Elliott Lee and Reece Oxford.
Phillips said: “It’s been hard work at times under Sam, getting the players in front of him.
“But it just shows the ones he has played, such as Reece Burke, have stepped up to the mark, and we’ve got a few more in the wings.
“I’d like to think we’re always giving 100 per cent. But it is an interesting time to see who will come in and what they’re philosophy on the game is, and see if it sits with ours.”
Well it is hardly a shock is it.Only what everyone suspected,just a bit more meat on the bone now 😉
No **** sherlock….
they should have all signed to his mate Curtis, would have played every game or changed their name to Nolan.
He didnt want to know about the youngsters because he was clueless as a manager when it came to working with them.He wasnt good enough.Is why he loves his clapped out old vintage bangers who are tried & tested.He doesnt need to get his fat ass into gear & put any effort in.Bet he rarely even ventured near the youth teams or dev squad matches.
Allardyce is a first class *****r.As long as him & his favourites are ok why should he give a **** about the nippers!
lol…If the dinosaur had stayed here a little bit longer, youngsters would have seen the first team at the age of 30 (maybe)… but ehi, don’t forget Sam planned this for their sake: he didn’t want to burn them… Sam is a generous man… I would like to hear the youngsters’ opinion on this issue, I’m sure they would be thrilled… Anyway, If Master Sam won’t coach Man Utd he could always coach the over one hundred year-old national team, they have a lot of experience the way Sam likes… 😀
when many of our “alleged” promising youngsters have gone to lower leagues in recent times they have hardly pulled up any trees have they? Burke and Oxford may be two of the better ones but when Burke did get opportunities he did OK but showed he needs time – if anyone has seen Oxford in person they would realise he needs time as well. He looks like and has the frame of a 14 year old kid!
It is a pity there is no reserve team football nowadays. The step up for these lads is huge nowadays, unlike the old reserves where you would have been getting experience with and against older pros as well as fringe players. Hopefully the early stages of the Euro league will provide such opportunity for some of the youngsters this season.
If the youngters aren’t given a chance, how are we ever going to know if they are good enough. They end up dropping down the leagues to get game time. Takes more than a few minutes here & there to see if they can make the grade. Young Sears is a good example, if Ipswich had won play-offs then he would be back in premier league.
Very true tony but i still think Hippo had & has always seemed to have had a lack of interest in youth.Still,isnt our problem anymore 😉
BFS was not interested in youth, that’s another good reason for his departure. He was not interested in the Development and growth of the club, just the here and now.
When that was failing also, he had to go – you’ve got to feel sorry for the kids and their Coaches – they weren’t given a chance!
Sam`s wonderful youth policy, lol… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO_RhItZ7uU enjoy!
I always believed that is why he put them to the knife at Forest ,so he could say told you so not good enough,that was also the first game in the Morrison demise,
This is the man who needs a pay rise for mental strain,working under BFS
What is also sad is that Reece Burke, I understand, had to sign up with Mark Curtis to get playing time under SA…
Absolutely no shock whatsoever,in BFS eyes the loan system wasn’t for the youngsters to gain experience it was to generally move them out if the club.The loan system if used right is to develop a player I.e Barclay,Lukaku,Kane even Beckham but with the idea of bringing them back into the fold and give an opportunity. He would sooner have the bench filled with failed 30 year olds that towed the line than letting any one with a sense of exhuberence be part of the 1st team set up. Tony you may be right mate about the standard of the players but how do we know until there given an opportunity,from my standpoint his attitude was if your too small, play the ball on the ground,not physical, not a defender or signed with Curtis your chances are slim off you go out on loan very rarely to return.