West Ham was always known as a great place for producing world class talent; which earned the self-proclaimed title “The Academy of Football”. However, in the past 10 years do West Ham still earn the right to be “The Academy of Football”?
Around the same era the likes of Frank Lampard, Michael Carrick and Rio Ferdinand (to name a few) were three young English lads who learnt their trade at West Ham’s academy. They have all gone on to represent their country a combined total of 207 times. More recently Mark Noble, James Tomkins and Jack Collison have been the most capped for West Ham who have come through the academy. James has had a tough time trying to break into the West Ham team but is almost certainly a future cert to start week in week out. Jack has made a total of 13 appearances for Wales and Mark, who was captain of the England Under 21’s has received no caps for the England senior team. With these latest academy players having little effect on world football does the baton of the best academy have to be passed over?
In recent times Southampton have produced Gareth Bale, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott. We don’t need reminding of how good Bale is, we had our fair share of his quality this season, and with his proposed interest from Europe’s elite and being the PFA Player of the Year he is an undoubtedly better product than both Mark and Jack. To prove this isn’t a fluke both Theo and Alex have proved to be exciting signings by Arsenal and it is debated whether Theo moved away from Southampton too early. Gareth is already one of Wales’ greatest ever players and both Theo and Alex are regular inclusions in England’s senior team, making them Southampton’s best recent products, and suggesting that they are the new “Academy of Football”.
The proof in a good academy is when the smaller club can make a huge profit on these players when selling to a bigger and richer club (Soton -> Arsenal, West Ham -> Man United/Chelsea etc.). West Ham have not recently made an players which have moved up the league to a higher, more successful team. And maybe that is where the proof lies in the decline of our academy.
West Ham have a good promising youth squad still but these players aren’t breaking into the first team as easily as the like of Defoe, Lampard and Joe Cole did, even to this day Luke Shaw of Southampton is a prospect who has made his Soton debut at just 16 and is capturing the eyes of many big clubs.
Who do you think is “The Academy of Football”?
Do you think once granted this title it is our history that is deserved of it, or should we be continuing to prove our worth of the title?
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Wrong. Time have changed and managers are not as willing to give chances out. + How many of them players were playing regular international football before we sold them. Rob Hall and Potts both have alot of potential but BFS doesnt play them. Noble isnt in the england team because he doesnt play for a club in the top 4
I don’t think they are on the same level as Ferdinand etc. When does a dry spell become a not as good academy?
Also every team will go through a dry spell when it comes to the academy. But then there will that one special talent we will see again
Aston Villa
I am an older Arsenal fan who remembers when West Ham were the club everybody admired for playing football when it was difficult to play passing football, how ironic that now it’s easy to retain possession you’ve got Big Sam in charge, it’s a crime against English football. The problem at the Academy is that the coaches teach one way of playing football, while the first team are playing another way. Big Sam will bring in older, experienced players who play his style.
Noble doesn’t play for England because he isn’t good enough unfortunately. The current crop of players coming through, aren’t at the same level as the Ferdinand, (young Joe Cole) era, but I’m sure with Tony Carr in charge there will be some gems coming through very soon
The problem is theirs too many academies associated to clubs and not enough quality, to play for a local club signing on fee match fees buy akit we have players who have been scouted by clubs gone to different academies they all charge until they get through to to elite academeys too much is being missed at grass roots level
i think the academy thing is outdated now,allthough the training is there there is no proper competiveness, i think they would benefit from a better schoolboy football system. Allardyce has the best idea buy them in at 17 or 18 when you can assess their potential more easily ,as far as our latest so called successful recruits to the first team noble and collision tell me any team that finished above us this year who would want to sign them,unfortunately we look at them through rose coloured specs because they come through the beloved academy.
I have marvelled at the quality of player that came through at West Ham and wondered what might have been if you were able to keep them. Anyway, my mate has a 8yr old son playing with a prem academy and he says it is all played behind closed doors as clubs are frightened of having players poached. I think big clubs can soak up talented boys and spit them out when they don’t break through as adults. If those boys were allowed to develop normally through local clubs and school system they may have developed and get better playing experience. A fairer compensation system would help give security to academies
We are no longer the academy of football in my opinion, there are others that do it much better than us and it looks like we will never regain that famous accolade under the current managerial set up. Players with natural football skills who might develop well as players are often sidelined these days in favour of those who have very limited ability but the right physique and winning mentality. The game has changed its emphasis over the years and the entertainment value has been lost somewhere along the way in order to make way for winning at all costs. Players who have exciting natural ability are potentially more likely to win games and entertain the crowds and would do things like keeping the ball on target at free kicks instead of sending the ball into row z every other time. I hope the owners wake up before it’s too late that the current regime has been lucky so far and the day is fast approaching when the West ham way is lost forever. The Academy is of less significance to Sam who will guide us down the slippery slope of mediocre, boring football and ultimately relegation once again.
We are fast losing the title of THE ACADEMY! I feel so much for youngsters they may be given the off game but that is all, age is nothing with real talent but they have to be given a chance not using all the time players you may have had at former clubs and aged over 32 signings.
The rumour that we have given into Andy Carroll and his demands for a 25% salary hike is pure obscene, he is worth nothing like that type of money and it sends out the wrong message to young players and players we may wish to sign in the future as well as many talented players we currently have who are much better than Carroll. I rate our owners but it is their club they run it and not Sam he is pulling the wool over your eyes making such a commitment for 6 years!
Bring on the Youth! we are THE ACADEMY!!!