Academy and Development Squad Developments 2017-18

Hamstew

I'll just leave this here

TwistandShout

He really shouldn't be on twitter

grey_til_I_dye

Why?

It's a perfectly reasonable comment, specifically referring to 'teenagers'.

It really doesn't happen that often at other clubs.

Hamstew

Are we a team of seasoned internationals then?

Hamstew

And other clubs do play teenagers

ASLEFshrugged

The question was about "youngsters" not "teenagers, Oxford is 18 but Burke is 20 and will be 21 in September.

As for "seasoned international" (singular???) that certainly applies to our centre backs, Collins, Fonte, Reid and Ogbonna have over 100 caps between them.

TwistandShout

grey_til_I_dye said:

Why?

It's a perfectly reasonable comment, specifically referring to 'teenagers'.

It really doesn't happen that often at other clubs.

Close the academy down then? ;hmm

MrsGrey

Only if you think the only purpose of the Academy is to produce 1st team players for West Ham?

grey_til_I_dye

Hamstew - often enough to stop it being 'extremely unlikely' - given how many youth players each team has?

ASLEF - the question used 'youngsters' - Gold used 'teenagers.

Twist

Yes, as that is clearly what I meant.

I really don't get the point of that type of response.

Have a look here:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3774724/Premier-League-graduates-players-come-club.html

and here:

www.skysports.com/football/news/11661/10058264/hold-hold-hold

McHammer

Problem is of late how many youngsters that we have released recently have gone on to prove that decision to be wrong. Very few in recent years.

McHammer

I thought Zavon Hines was the next world star!!

grey_til_I_dye

Anyone doubting the club's commitment to developing young players is clearly not following what is going on. In addition to our own academy products, we have signed a fair few promising players between the ages of 17 and 19 in the last few years.

Hamstew

I will never be persuaded that giving Calleri game after game and sending Martinez out on loan was a good idea. Then seeing a tweet like that? Sorry just my opinion ;ok

grey_til_I_dye

Ham

If they didn't want them to come on into the team, they wouldn't sign them in the first place, would they?

alderz

I don't expect to persuade you, but I think there is an argument that had Martinez gotten such few minutes in our team (as Calleri has) he wouldn't have had the same opportunity to develop as he did being a first teamed at Oxford

grey_til_I_dye

Ham

To clarify:

I'm not suggesting you don't have the right (or are necessarily wrong) to criticise decisions the club make regarding youth players; I'm only saying that, imo, the club are committed to trying to bring on young players.

It's a bit like the transfer argument: if people think our transfers have been rubbish, that's fair enough (even if I disagree), but if people say the club aren't spending proper money on transfers, then I think that is simply ignoring the facts.

Hamstew

Grey im not suggesting that the club are not to commited to bringing on youth players ive simply shown Daves imo strange tweet and also highlighted the Calleri Martinez situation that I feel strongly about and imo makes no sense. Alderz, Martinez has made 14 appearances for Oxford and Calleri 15 for West Ham. Imo Calleri has had loads of chances. I mean Zaza (an actual international) played 8 times for us and then was shipped out as he was deemed not good enough.

I also get that not many teenagers hold down regular spots in the Prem but as I say I think its a bit of an odd tweet , especially as most of our young players are on twitter. Not the most motivational of things to say.

Adam

Hamstew said:

I think its a bit of an odd tweet , especially as most of our young players are on twitter. Not the most motivational of things to say.

^This^

I'm not against the chairmen in general but he simply should not be saying something like this.

Gold needs to be mentally stronger and not respond to these tweets, unless he genuinely thinks it's fine to say these sorts of things about our players publicly.

MrsGrey

But it's not like the Academy players aren't aware of the difficulties.

Lukerz

I agree with Ham ;ok

Lukerz

MrsGrey said:

But it's not like the Academy players aren't aware of the difficulties.

But telling someone who's obese and knows they are obese, that they're obese, probably won't make them feel better, regardless of whether they already know it.

WHU_Champo_league_in_7_years

Yea it's just an unnecessary comment

baracks_a_hammer

A comment (by DG) which has zero percent chance of having any benefit whatsoever and more than likely would do the opposite.

IronHerb

Declan Rice has been called up into the Ireland squad for the World Cup qualifier against Austria. ;clap

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40011682

MrsGrey

;nonono

;clap

alderz

Wow

MrsGrey

http://www.whufc.com/news/articles/2017/may/25-may/david-gold-why-im-optimistic-next-season

Adding a bit more to the 140 characters.

My point was a general observation about modern football, and the fact that it is far more difficult for 17 and 18 year-olds to establish themselves in top flight teams than it was maybe 20 or 30 years ago.


There is now so much pressure and scrutiny on the Premier League and, with most sides now full of international players, clubs have to be very careful not to heap too much on the shoulders of young players who are only just progressing from the Academy.


The pathway now for teenage players is to go out on loan to lower division clubs, where they can gain experience, grow stronger and more mature, and play regular senior football without the extreme pressure that comes with the Premier League. The hope is that they then come back and, by the age of 20 or 21, are ready to make that step up.


What I do believe is that, at West Ham, we have a group of very talented young players who have shown great progress in recent seasons and have a very bright future at our club. The likes of Reece Oxford, Reece Burke, Josh Cullen, Toni Martinez and Martin Samuelsen have all gained great experience out on loan, and I have every confidence and hope that they will break into the first team here in the future.


The Academy is a vital part of our structure – we have put a huge amount of care and investment into it in recent years, and nothing would give me greater pleasure than to see the next Mark Noble come through and build a successful career at London Stadium.

eskimoking

Now that is fair enough and what most of us on this forum knew he meant. However, the little snippet he put on twitter was always going to be mis-interpreted and deemed offensive by some and potentially demoralising without the explanation. He needs to be more careful over what he posts on twitter. Everyone associated with the club needs to be.

Vorselaarhammer

Mr G is busy tonight on twitter....

We think we have the best group of teenagers for over a decade. Time will tell. dg

alderz

Grey ;ok

Even if he doesn't get much game time you'd have thought he will learn an awful lot living abroad for a year. I've seen things saying he lacks a bit of maturity (as you might expect for an 18 year old), so this could be a good growing opportunity for him. I feel like this will be good for his development either way.