West Ham United U18s lead coach Kevin Keen believes his side’s display against Swansea U18s is indicative of their endeavour in recent months.
A hat-trick from Veron Parkes (3), along with goals by Odemipo Odubeko, Sebastian Nebyla, Christian Velicky (2) and Gael Kileba, helped the junior Hammers to a resounding 8-2 victory in South Wales on Saturday morning - one of the team’s largest victories in recent years.
With results having not always reflected the quality of their recent performances, Keen was delighted to see his side apply such a killer instinct away from home.
“We’ve played some really good games this season where we’ve not always been able to get as many goals as we’ve deserved,” Keen admitted. “On Saturday, however, Swansea were on the end of us being really clinical.
“I think the lads have put a hell of a lot of hard work in recently. They’ve been really trying to get into the ideas that [Assistant Coach] Mark Phillips and I are giving them, and I think Saturday’s scoreline was a little bit overdue.
“I did feel sorry for Swansea – perhaps they were a little bit underpowered, carrying a few injuries – but at the same time you can only go there and be as clinical as you can, like Leicester did at Southampton, so it was a very enjoyable result for us.
“I hope the score gives us a little injection of confidence to carry us forward over the next couple of months. It’d be nice to have a little bit of a boost from the fact that we’ve scored eight goals away from home.”
The Academy of Football scholars have enjoyed a positive first few months to their 2019/20 U18 Premier League South campaign, sitting fourth in the table with nine games played.
Having rejoined the Irons this summer for his fifth spell with the Club – he has previously represented the Club as a long-serving player, reserve-team and first-team coach, and caretaker manager – Keen has been delighted by his young charges’ application in the Claret and Blue shirt.
He said: “Since I’ve come in, I’ve been delighted with the way they’ve applied themselves and become a real team. They have the effort, enthusiasm and energy every week to have a real go and do the best they can for West Ham, and I certainly think they’re achieving that.
“At times I think our quality has let us down a little bit when we’ve come up against the very, very good teams at the top of the league, but I’m more than pleased with how they’re working every day, day in, day out to improve.
“Hopefully if they can keep working like that, in two or three years’ time, we might see some of them in and around the first-team.”
That’s what the West Ham Academy is about, and that’s what it’s always been about: trying to get young players through to the first-team.
Kevin Keen
Hammers’ fans who have followed the U18s’ season will have enjoyed more than their fair share of action, with the side having registered the second-most goals in their league (26), but also having conceded the third-most (20).
“If you want to see some goals, come and watch the youth team!” Keen laughed.
“We are yet to have a clean sheet this season, which is disappointing, but we also haven’t had a game where we haven’t scored yet. We’re trying hard to get that first clean sheet, so it’d be certainly good to do so before December comes.”
After Saturday morning’s game against Swansea, Keen remained in South Wales to witness Dmitri Halajko’s U23 side claim a 4-2 win against the same opposition the following day.
A number of U18s regulars were involved in the Premier League 2 Division 2 game, and Keen was pleased to see his players take the next step up.
“The goal for Mark Phillips and I is to get our players through to the Under-23s as quickly as possible, and get them playing at a slightly higher standard of football,” Keen explained.
“To have three or four involved in every U23s game shows that we’re progressing them really nicely. That’s what Mark and I are trying to achieve. We’re trying to get them through as quickly as possible, because that then means we can play our 16-year-olds in our youth team.
“If they can handle it, let’s get them up there to the U23s. That’s what the West Ham Academy is about, and that’s what it’s always been about: trying to get young players through to the first-team.”
Keen’s West Ham U18s continue their Premier League South campaign away at Leicester U18s on Saturday. Kick-off is at midday.
