The disappointment of a final-game defeat for West Ham United U18s was clear to see.
The young Hammers looked set to become the first English side to lift the Zlatý Kahan Cup in the Czech Republic, after a campaign that saw three wins from three games across Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.
However, a 4-2 defeat in the last game of the tournament meant the U18s finished second, losing out on lifting the trophy by the slender, but devastating, margin of just one goal.
For U18s head coach Kevin Keen, the week spent in the Czech Republic has shown him a lot about his young side. Speaking to West Ham TV, Keen explained the learning opportunities that had presented themselves – both for him, and his team...
Kevin, a real disappointment for the lads in the final game of the Zlatý Kahan Cup. How have they taken it?
“They’ve taken it really badly, as we all have. Full credit to the opposition. I thought they were excellent today, especially on the back of playing another game this morning. I thought they were really good and, in my eyes, they were the better team.”
In terms of the entire trip out here, the lads did win three of their four games. Are there positives to take within that?
“There are a few positives for sure, but it’s still not good enough on the last day. It leaves a bitter taste in your mouth because we’d been good. I think the opposition in the first couple of games were okay and, in the last couple of games, the opposition were physically tough and probably a fraction older than us. But that’s not a big deal really and we should be able to deal with that as a Category One British Academy.
“It’s was a good learning opportunity for me. It was a chance to learn about the first-year scholars, and the young lads that came with us and played a lot of minutes. We’ve got a lot of minutes into them in pre-season, which is a real big plus, and another big plus for me is learning a little bit more about them, in regards to who is going to put in a real shift for the team and who has got a little bit of quality.”
How have the lads dealt with playing four times in five days, in very hot conditions?
“I think they did okay. When you look at all the squads, I think we had the most players. I think the other squads had 18 and we had 21 or 22, so it’s not an excuse. Maybe physically they were a little bit more developed, to deal with the fixture schedule, so I’ve got no problems with that.
“The other thing is we’ve come away with no serious injuries, which is really good because four games in five days is tough.”
On pre-season as a whole, how have the lads coped?
"I think they’ve coped really well. The physical side of it, we’ve been training in the mornings on top of the games, so we’ve not been easing off. We’ve dealt with the physical demands really well and it is a challenge.
“I think anyone who has been here for these few days knows it’s been probably as hot as it was at home, maybe even hotter. So it has been a real physical challenge and I think the lads have dealt with that well.”
With the start of the new season so close now, what are the big takeaways from this tournament for you?
“The big takeaway is from today [Saturday] really. Yes, we were good and we scored some nice goals, and defended okay, but today was a little bit of a wake-up call. We’re a couple of weeks away and we’ve got a lot of work to do in terms of our shape, our togetherness and set-pieces. There’s still a little way to go.
“We’ve got a really good, really keen bunch of lads who want to do well, but we’ve got quite a bit of work to do if we want to be ready for when we go to Crystal Palace for the first game of the season."
