Sam Allardyce is impressed by the talent coming through the Academy ranks
Sam Allardyce believes a bright future awaits West Ham United as the latest crop of Academy graduates edge their way closer to the first team.
18-year-old Reece Burke looked assured on his first Premier League start as he helped the Hammers to a clean sheet in Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Queens Park Rangers. Josh Cullen and Reece Oxford were also with the travelling party in West London, with the latter joining 20-year-old Diego Poyet on the bench for the game.
“It is really encouraging to see young players coming through,” Big Sam said. “When everyone says no one plays a young player any more the bottom line is if you are safe and you say ‘We are going to play a lot of the young players now and we are going to play a lot of players who are on the fringe and whose contracts are up’.
“We want to put them into games at this level and see if they can stand up and get experience.
“Burke has come through because of injuries to Winston Reid and James Tomkins and to be fair he would have been more involved if he had not been injured earlier in the season.
“We also had Doneil Henry, who you would have seen before now. He did a fantastic job on loan at Blackburn and showed he has the capabilities before he ripped his hamstring.
“Burke has a great opportunity but I’m sure on Sunday he wouldn’t have been able to walk because he would have been that tired. But he will know the level of performances that he will need from this great experience. Can they cope with the pressure? Against QPR he did that.”
With talented youngsters coming through to supplement the already established internationals, Big Sam believes West Ham just need to add more squad depth during the summer transfer period. Joint Chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold have indicated further funds will be available for at least four new faces, as the Hammers target at least another top-half finish in their final campaign at the Boleyn Ground.
“I think there is a certain push forward in younger players and I think probably if I look back, as well as injuries, perhaps a little bit of inexperience across this time has shown why we have been in so many positions to win a game and ended up drawing it or losing from a draw.
“There are young lads with lots of energy and also quality players with experience. Matching the two up and having a bit more strength and depth in that area where bigger challenges are made on a daily basis to play in the team.”
The draw was the Hammers’ first point on the road since the 2-2 draw at Tottenham Hotspur on 22 February as the team heeded their manager’s desire to stop giving soft goals away. A home game with Burnley on Saturday is up next and Big Sam will be expecting the same kind of resilience against another team that will be fighting for their lives.
“I was happy that they did the first thing they needed to do – stop giving stupid goals away,” Big Sam said of his team. “I looked at the two stupid goals we gave away at Manchester City last weekend. Man City hit the target three times only.
“You look at the performance – we got criticised for the performance. But we had more possession at Man City than we had we had when we beat then at West Ham and yet we were ‘brilliant’ because we won.
“It is all about winning but really it is about how you do.”
18-year-old Reece Burke looked assured on his first Premier League start as he helped the Hammers to a clean sheet in Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Queens Park Rangers. Josh Cullen and Reece Oxford were also with the travelling party in West London, with the latter joining 20-year-old Diego Poyet on the bench for the game.
“It is really encouraging to see young players coming through,” Big Sam said. “When everyone says no one plays a young player any more the bottom line is if you are safe and you say ‘We are going to play a lot of the young players now and we are going to play a lot of players who are on the fringe and whose contracts are up’.
“We want to put them into games at this level and see if they can stand up and get experience.
“Burke has come through because of injuries to Winston Reid and James Tomkins and to be fair he would have been more involved if he had not been injured earlier in the season.
“We also had Doneil Henry, who you would have seen before now. He did a fantastic job on loan at Blackburn and showed he has the capabilities before he ripped his hamstring.
“Burke has a great opportunity but I’m sure on Sunday he wouldn’t have been able to walk because he would have been that tired. But he will know the level of performances that he will need from this great experience. Can they cope with the pressure? Against QPR he did that.”
With talented youngsters coming through to supplement the already established internationals, Big Sam believes West Ham just need to add more squad depth during the summer transfer period. Joint Chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold have indicated further funds will be available for at least four new faces, as the Hammers target at least another top-half finish in their final campaign at the Boleyn Ground.
“I think there is a certain push forward in younger players and I think probably if I look back, as well as injuries, perhaps a little bit of inexperience across this time has shown why we have been in so many positions to win a game and ended up drawing it or losing from a draw.
“There are young lads with lots of energy and also quality players with experience. Matching the two up and having a bit more strength and depth in that area where bigger challenges are made on a daily basis to play in the team.”
The draw was the Hammers’ first point on the road since the 2-2 draw at Tottenham Hotspur on 22 February as the team heeded their manager’s desire to stop giving soft goals away. A home game with Burnley on Saturday is up next and Big Sam will be expecting the same kind of resilience against another team that will be fighting for their lives.
“I was happy that they did the first thing they needed to do – stop giving stupid goals away,” Big Sam said of his team. “I looked at the two stupid goals we gave away at Manchester City last weekend. Man City hit the target three times only.
“You look at the performance – we got criticised for the performance. But we had more possession at Man City than we had we had when we beat then at West Ham and yet we were ‘brilliant’ because we won.
“It is all about winning but really it is about how you do.”