Hull Away on April Fools Day

Pengeman

With so many injuries and out of form players (Tore, Norveidt, Callieri) West Ham should blood some youngsters but it is hard to see any strategy for blooding younger players as last summer WHU opted for cheap and freebie imports and that has not worked.

Oxford made his EPL debut and then disappeared from sight and now can't even get a game at Reading. Burke played in EPL under Allardyce but that development came to a halt and am not sure if he is still on loan at Wigan, where he wasn't getting many games even when fit. Samuelson seems to have gone backward and can't get a game at Peterborough. Martinez did not even get a whiff of EPL and Fletcher is out of favour with Bilic. Quino has class but still no EPL time. Chelsea, Tottenham and others seem to give young players a chance but the Academy of football remains barren.

Why not recall Oxford for the game at Hull, or try Burke in defence? We are leaking goals and new blood keen to make name for itself might make a difference

Hantshammer

Like to see Fletcher get at least 45 mins. Would b nice to get to safety and if nowt else to play for get the youngsters some time. Have the days gone when academy players come through? I'm sure Oxford could make it and learn from Fonte. Would also like to see Samuelson given a chance.

WHU_Champo_league_in_7_years

Pengeman

Not really sure how Tottenham and a Chelsea can relate to us

Like chalobah is 22 and is still barely getting a game, despite being one of the championships best players at 18

Nathan Ake has been highly rated since his teen years, but he's 22 now and only just been recalled to the first team squad, pretty sure he's yet to play since he has

Loftus-Cheek has gone off the boil, remember lucks Piazon? He was there young player of the year now he's with Fulham, the younger hazard left likewise

And Tottenham moved harry Kane around to several clubs during his teens only for him to explode onto the scene

Danny rose was at loans untill he was 23, walker didn't get a chance till he was 21

I want to see youth as well but the problem with youth....the inconsistencies and the possibility of not developing their game enough

Oxford 18, Samuelsen 19, Burke 20, Quina 17, Martinez 19, Browne 19

These players have potential but they need development at their ages, and quite frankly if they aren't good enough currently for championship or even league 1 then they aren't going to be of much help, don't think letting in 3 goals every week will ldo much for their confidence

Pengeman

@WHU_Champo_league_in_7_years Thank you for your comments. My concern is that we have hardly produced any first-teamers from the second-string in recent years. Leaving aside the golden era when we produced Joe Cole, Lampard, Carrick, Ferdinand, Defoe (he came from another club) and others, recent years have been somewhat barren. Tomkins stepped up in 2008, Noble in 2004, Johnson in 2003. Stanislas, Britton and Zamora flourished elsewhere and many of the golden age were also sold off.

A Club like West Ham can't easily compete with moneybags Chelsea, MANC, MANU, Tottenham or Arsenal. Therefore, even more important to develop own players or find some gems (like Lanzini) in the sales. But something is not right. How much do we spend on the development squad? Why the dearth of players making it to the first team in recent years? Of course, it can be argued that managers are ruled by fear and therefore reluctant to play younger players. But that applies to all teams.

thornburyiron

Merse has this one down as a 2-1 defeat.

Fortuneseeker

Sky have gone early with their April Fools gag - West Ham v Spurs on a Friday night??

thornburyiron

Lawro has us down for a 1-0 defeat. I hadn't realised that Hull are unbeaten at home for 6 games and won 5 of them.

Bazshuayi

They're due for that run to end then

thornburyiron

Winning runs don't tend to end against us though, only losing ones.

Bazshuayi

Im going to remain blindly positive and say we won't lose to Hull. After all, we have 'post' on our side as our extra man

MrsGrey

Didn't the post get a transfer to China?

Bazshuayi

Nah it was Shanghaied ;wink

secrethammersfan

MrsGrey said:

Didn't the post get a transfer to China?

There's a bar on that.
;yercoat

IronHerb

A bar you say? ;beer ;champagne ;redwine ;stout ;cider ;wahoo

Bazshuayi

Now there's no chance of you being 'upright'

#barhumbug

Lukerz

So now this appears to be another SOS game.

Save Our Slav

puddleglumhammers

Randolph
Kouyate Fonte Collins
Byram Noble Fernandes Cresswell
Lanzini
Carroll Ayew

Adrian Nordveidt Masuaku Feghouli Snodgrass Fletcher Calleri

Maybe sneak a 2-1 win if lucky.

Kuchinghammer

Slaven: Karanka waits in the wings.... ha.
I'm not usually organised enough to predict a team, but we don't have a lot of choice right now. Ginge for Reid, Masuaka for Cresswell, Koyate for Obiang, Noble to annoy some supporters, Snoddie for the Post, Ayew for Carroll (assuming AC is injured.)
I think Hull will get their revenge: if they don't, relegation looms large. West Ham, on the other hand, may think they're safe, so.... 2-0 to the Hammers!

Lukerz

Standard report Masuaku will be given the nod over Cresswell.

Moore_than_a_nick

Wanted to get Snodders into the team to strike against his old club:

AC
Ayew-Lanzini-Snodgrass
Noble-Fernandes
Masuaku-Fonte-Kouyate-Byram
GK

(Not sure about Collins' form, as not seen much of him recently. But could play him at CB and move Kouyate into midfield alongside Nobes. Would like to see Fernandes get some game time though.)


However, that looks a bit weak down the flanks, so I would probably start with the below team, and bring Snodgrass on to score against his former club in the last half-hour:

AC-Ayew
Masuaku-Noble-Lanzini-Fernandes-Byram
Fonte-Collins-Kouyate
GK

Lukerz

Adrian
Byram - Collins - Fonte - Masuaku
Noble - Kouyate
Snodgrass - Lanzini - Ayew
Carroll

Randolph, Cresswell, Nordtveit, Fernandes, Feghouli, Calleri, Fletcher

Is as good as we'll get. Seems like Cress is going to be dropped.

1-1

IronHerb

I'll go with that Lukerz, but a 2-1 win for us.

Yeoldhammer

Lose and we are looking over the shoulder to relegation.

Vorselaarhammer

Is Post in the sqaud????

IronHerb

Hope he doesn't get stamped on ;run

MrsGrey

Come on herb, you now what you've got to do.

Go and get it.

Moore_than_a_nick

Vorselaarhammer said:

Is Post in the sqaud????

At least our strikers should get some good delivery...

ASLEFshrugged

The post game interview should be interesting

OldCastleSwift

Nobes benched. Kouyate and Lanzini central ;hmm

MrsGrey

Is that 4-4-2? 4-3-3?

Or Kouyate playing the shielding role with Lanzini in front. Sort of 4-1-3-2.

Or 4-1-3-1-1?

AC captain.

coyi coyi