West Ham U23 team relegation shows need for revamp

West Ham’s development squad have been relegated from Premier League 2 just a year after gaining promotion to the top tier of U23. The Academy of Football now has to rebuild to provide a solid base of competitive youngsters to support the first team senior squad.

Relegation for the U23 team is an actual massive loss for West Ham. The name printed on the perfectly beautiful new carpet says “the Academy of Football” but tier two of Premier League 2 tarnishes this at this time, even if it is just the development squad.

Not an issue of quality…

The quality of the players in the academy is not the issue as it stands right now, but it soon will be. In their season finale, a 2-1 win over Everton, the stars came to play. Grady Diangana scores, Holland collects an assist, Coventry assists, and Ben Johnson scores too.

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The likes of Xande Silva and Dan Kemp also factored into the win alongside a rehabilitating Carlos Sanchez who saw his first game action since sustaining a knee injury early this season. The players who make up this team are extremely talented, but simply won’t be here next season.

West Ham’s senior team need wingers next season. Diangana and Holland will likely fill this void. The team also needs strikers with Carroll, Perez, Chicharito, and Arnautovic all possibly off. Xande Silva should get an extended look as a forward. The team needs depth in the fullback position. Ben Johnson should get the first look as a dual-footed right-back. Lastly, the team needs central midfielders that can play box-to-box and Conor Coventry should be an option for the team.

That leaves Dan Kemp, Josh Pask, Alfie Lewis, and both keepers Trott and Anang to lead the team. But not so fast. Kemp should go on loan to at the very least a League 2 team along with one or both keeper prospects. Pask and Lewis could provide positional depth despite their age, to the first team, residing on the U23 team.

Josh Okotcha is a name to watch. The 15-year-old impressed against Benfica despite the 2-0 loss. Him, alongside Mesaque Dju, a new arrival this season, should be names to circle for the future of this team.

Time to scout and invest

With so many players who belong to the development team either on the brink of graduating to senior football or other being moved on from, it’s time to revamp the U23s.

Loaned out U23 players who could be sold include Haksabanovic, Oxford, Samuelsen, Martinez, and Cullen which not only makes space for new recruits but also could finance their purchase. It may be cruel, but the jump from U23 to Premier League isn’t an easy one and these players could be better suited for football outside of West Ham’s system.

This also leaves Neufville, Afolayan, Browne, Makasi, and Powell as potential U23 returnees, graduates, or yet again loaned out players.

Next. Can West Ham keep Arnautovic and get the best out of him?. dark

There is no shortage of players for the Irons, but rather an overabundance of players that requires a lot of difficult decision. Mario Husillios and Manuel Pellegrini have a lot of internal decision making and scouting to do as soon as the season ends. Some decisions are obvious but others will justify the inflated salaries both men make.