West Ham United U23s are in friendly action on Tuesday evening as they travel to Griffin Park to play Brentford ‘B’.
Dmitri Halajko’s side have made an excellent start to the season, beating both Fulham and Newcastle in their only Premier League 2 Division 2 games to date.
The trip to West London is sure to offer Halajko the chance to shuffle his pack of players, having named unchanged teams in both league games thus far.
Winger Dan Kemp has been a crucial part to the U23s promising start to the season and has praised the impact made by Halajko.
“I really enjoy working with Dmitri,” said Kemp. “He’s got some new ideas which are really exciting and engaging for us as players.
"He’s a manager that likes playing attacking football and that suits me. As a player I love to get on the ball, create and score goals, and that’s really important to him so I think he’s been really good for everyone, but especially for me.”
I think Dmitri has been really good for everyone, but especially for me.
Dan Kemp
During pre-season the U23s played two friendlies against senior opposition. Brentford ‘B’ will be another chance for the Hammers to prepare for their EFL Trophy campaign that starts in September with a trip to Newport County AFC.
“I think it will be another good test against Brentford. We’ve had quite a few different challenges during pre-season and now moving into the league.
"It’s another game, which is great because as a player you mostly just enjoy the games, and it’s another big test that we’re looking forward to."
The U23s were not at their best on Saturday in the 2-1 win against Newcastle, but Kemp insisted getting the victory on Tyneside was impressive given the weather conditions.
“It was a tough game in difficult conditions with the wind. The pitch was a bit dry, but that’s what you have to do sometimes - find a way to win.
"We found a way to get the result, and that’s the most important thing.”
West Ham went behind early to a Jamie Sterry drive, but the young side showed resilience to get back into the game before the break and hold out to seal victory.
“The goals before half-time helped us get back into our groove," Kemp continued. "Then, we slowly managed to get into the game, get the win, and carry on building momentum, which is the most important thing.”
The match at Griffin Park kicks off at 7pm and entry is free for all supporters. West Ham U23s are back in league action this Friday 23 August against Reading at the Chigwell Construction Stadium in Dagenham.
