A number of talented West Ham United youngsters have struggled for game time this season.
West Ham United chairman David Gold has taken to Twitter to defend manager Slaven Bilic’s unwillingness to give the club’s young players a chance this season.
The Hammers rightly boast one of the most illustrious youth academies in English football with Frank Lampard, Glen Johnson, Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick and Joe Cole (below), the spine of the English national team for a number of years, all hailing honing their talents with the capital club.
However, West Ham’s internal talent has dried up somewhat in recent seasons with Junior Stanislas one of the few Chadwell Heath graduates to make the grade at the top level, while the likes of Freddy Sears and Zavon Hines failed to fulfil their potential.
And a number of fans have taken issue with the lack of homegrown talent within Bilic’s team selection, with the absence of Reece Oxford and the decision to loan prolific youngster Toni Martinez to Oxford United drawing the brunt of the criticism.
However, chairman Gold has backed his manager on Twitter, arguing that the Croatian is attempting to do what is right for both players and club.
There is certainly too sides to the argument. A dismal early season which looked destined to lead to a relegation battle, plus the toxic atmosphere on the London Stadium’s plush terraces, is hardly the ideal environment to give a young player his first taste of senior football.
Nonetheless, there is a concern that the club’s youngsters are being blocked from first-team action by a number of under-performing signings.
Surely Oxford and Martinez warrant a place in West Ham’s squad more than Havard Nordtveit or Jonathan Calleri?
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