A new season for West Ham United U21s, but for Mark Robson the goal is the same.
“Whether we win the league, finish mid-table, or in the bottom half the main aim is to produce the players for the Club,” the U21s lead coach stated.
“Of course, we want to be as competitive as we can be and challenge in Premier League 2. But most importantly, we want to produce players for the first team.
“We had some success with players making that step up last year, so hopefully we can do that again.”
Now with the 2023/24 campaign on the horizon, pre-season has kick-started over the past week across Rush Green and Chadwell Heath. As the clichés go, a gruelling period of fitness, fitness and more fitness. Or, well, as it used to be.
“When I played pre-season was a bit different,” Robson explains. “It was constant long-running, and it was really tough on the individual.
“But because this break was so short this year, you are not going to lose a great deal from a physical point of view. The players are still going to be in pretty good shape, and that was the case over the last week.
“It’s still hard, of course. The players will tell you that! They put a lot of effort in, but I think it is a case of the break being shorter, so the players are already in decent shape.
“The main thing now is getting back up to speed, preparing ourselves for the season and finding a level where we can perform consistently.”
That is the task then for what is once again expected to be a fairly young group to play at the Under-21 level next year.
A lot of the players to have starred in the FA Youth Cup under Kevin Keen in 2022/23 will make the step up. Many did so last year with success too. Divin Mubama ran riot in front of goal. Ollie Scarles, Gideon Kodua, Kaelan Casey, Regan Clayton and Callum Marshall also featured regularly.
Because of that, there is plenty of belief and excitement both inside and outside the Academy of Football around this group of talent playing at Premier League 2. One with plenty of potential yes, but one still with plenty to learn.
“From a physical and strength perspective, that will be the biggest test,” adds Robson, who played for West Ham in 1992/93. “A lot of the boys played at PL2 last year and experienced that challenge.
“Again they are still playing against boys that are a lot older than them – because of the overage players at this level – and they are tested against players that are bigger and stronger, which is a big challenge and one they will have to rise to.
“They’ll learn that it’s another level up very quickly but that’s what it is about, making the step up.”
Bringing players to the first-team level is the goal that remains at the heart of those in the Academy, with PL2 playing a vital role in managing that step up.
As such, pre-season is a vital time. Sessions designed to make sure players are ready, and fully focused, for the tests to come.
“There are a couple of weeks of real hard graft and fitness, before we are back to preparing for matches and ready for the season to start,” Robson adds, with PL2 set to kick-start in early August, and the U21s also involved in the Papa Johns Trophy across Autumn.
“We are not too far away from the start of the season, even though we are one week into pre-season!
“But the fact the lads had a shorter break this year means we are not far away from being back at it. In a couple of weeks’ time we will be in really good shape and ready to go again.”
