Robert Hall joined the West Ham Academy at the age of 7, and has had a very promising career as a youngster. He played for England at the under-16, -17, -18, and under – 19 levels. He was named West Ham’s Academy Player of the season for 2011-2012— an impressive accolade for the teenager.
West Ham United describe him as being “blessed with elusive ball skills, tight close control and a superb left-foot shot from all ranges”- which is very flowing and really rather gushing praise. On paper he sounds ideal, but yet he’s spent most of his time of late being loaned out (admittedly common practice for a youngster) and featured in just 3 games this season (1 League game and 2 League cup games.) He scored for our Development Squad in U21 games against Arsenal, Norwich and Blackburn.
Hall has spent most of his career thus far playing for other clubs, and after loan spells with Bolton Wanderers, Birmingham City and Oxford United and MK Dons, he is now starting to attract attention from other Championship clubs, which poses the question- should he stay, or should he go?
Should we hang on to an incredibly promising youngster who has yet to deliver as an adult (and could end up being another Freddie Sears situation), or let him wander off to another club where he will possibly then come into his own and become a brilliant player?
Hall sounds like a player we could use on the pitch. He can reportedly play both on the wing and as a forward, and lord knows we could use a player with ‘tight close control’ and ‘elusive ball skills’ as those talents are not exactly running rampant in our starting XI. In the three games he played for us this season, he’s not done poorly. He had a shot at the end of the Crewe game that very narrowly missed its target. But in the one game Hall started (and played the entirety of) versus Wigan in the League Cup, the game finished a depressing 1-4 to Wigan – and Hall’s name is non existent in the match report (keeping in mind this is the game in which Allardyce said the team “couldn’t defend a fish supper”- hardly the season’s most complimentary post-match interview.)
This begs the question – is Hall just another over-hyped kid, or is this someone who will turn into an Upton Park hero?
It’d be great if he would- it’s been a while since we’ve had a proper home-grown hero. We’re certainly not short of home-grown players; Tomkins, Noble, Joe Cole (even though he did sod off and leave us for a while), Spence and Potts have all come up through the Academy but none of them are yet regarded with universal acclaim and or hero status from the fans.
Given time, Hall could be that in the future. Verdict’s still out for me on him – but since the man’s barely played more than 90 minutes of football for us, he hasn’t really had a chance yet to prove himself in the first team. Considering all that he’s achieved as a youngster, before selling him or shipping him out he has absolutely earned the right to have a chance to play for West Ham. Hopefully he’ll stick around and take that chance this season – and who knows, we might just have ourselves a new local hero.
Emily is on twitter @makingthemarrow
In answer to your initial question. No. A real shame though.
What is there to say no about come on! This kid has undoubtedly amazing potential given the right training he could really shine especially along side Andy Caroll. His young fit and Hungary.
Ro, think PT means “No” he will not be given the chance due to BS’ non existant youth policy which as he says is a real shame. Could do with some more pace (apart from Jarvis) in the team. two (out of Cole, Nolan, Diame or Noble) in the centre and Hall & Jarvis on the wing. supplying the crosses for AC. oh a Lionel Messi on the bench as an impact sub
and why is someone using my name i wonder?!?
I think he will, especially if no Carroll comes in
not ready yet imho…at least not to be a starter. I can see him coming off the bench for cameo appearances, as back-up for injured starters and also being given a few cup games but I’d much rather see someone brought in on that right wing that has quality AND experience. Someone 24-28yo or such. In their prime. Playing up top is even less of an option as we are bound to use a Carroll type (him or someone similar).
Hall, like Potts, Morrison or Lee (i count these as some of the more promising youngsters) have to get themselves around the first-team squad and do some growing for a few more years… preferably deputizing for someone they can learn from… and in time breach the actual first team.
There seems alot of discontent amongst some of our fans that ‘Sam won’t give the you youngsters a go’ and ‘he’s killing our academy’! Also hear that we should have hall and Morrison back next season and that Morrison was motm in half of the games he played for brum last season and he is the creative spark that we missed. The reality is that Morrison wasn’t far and away the best player in their team (though he did well) and hall was hardly a goal machine! Our fans want these guys to be as good as the crop of youngsters in the 90’s but that was a golden age, we may never produce so many international level players in such a short space of time again.
If they are good enough then they will make the step up to the 1st team. If not, and like the vast majority of promising young players, they will ply their trade at a lower level. This goes for both hall and Morrison. Is it better for these guys to sit on the bench, have a few cameo appearances and turn out for the u21’s next year, or be loaned back to the championship (a very competitive league) and play every week? Both of these guys need to go back on loan at the start of next season and if they are pulling up trees in the championship and they are good enough to push for the 1st team, then it’s the right time to bring them back and give them a chance
I’m on the verge of becoming Jonny Ninja’s biggest fan! Another informed and educated post by JN. Its a pity that so many knuckle-draggers come on here and slag the club off with negative tosh. Well done Jonny Ninja, refreshing to see a realistic and informed point of view. JNFPM!!!
Haha why thank you. The only benefit of having sciatica and being stuck on the sofa for 7 days is having time on my hands to post my opinions on the web about our great team! I’m sure just as many think my views are utter rubbish! The worst thing (other than being able to play with my children on their 7th bday today) is reading the constant contradictory reports at the moment on the Andy Carroll saga. The media really do take us football fans for complete mugs, And a lot of us are!
Some of our supporters believe that we have some sort of production line where every player that shows a bit of skill is going to be our next homegrown academy star. As Jonny ninja rightly stated, we had a golden phase which doesn’t happen very often for ANY club, let alone ours……in short it was a one off.
Some supporters criticise Big Sam but before he came to the club, the route to the first team by our youngsters was hit and miss. Effectively he put a system in place to give the youngsters first team experience so that they could force their way into the first team.
How many other premiership teams regularly give their youngsters regular games with the first team?
Has anyone looked at how other teams youngsters progress to their first teams??
Do people realise that putting youngsters into the team too early can destroy confidence and hamper a players progress?
It’s far too easy to say, give him a go/put him in/he’s doing for the development squad!
Where are Montano, Stanislas, Sears, Lee Jordan Brown???
Leave it to the manager as he knows best is my answer!
Simple answer is NO! in fact when will Dan Potter get another chance?
Why should he get that chance when JOB was one of the unsung stars of our team performing admirably at LB. And now we have a player with CL experience for that slot that can offer far more then the 17 year old Potts can atm. To be honest thats the perfect scenario right there. Get a starter with experience , that has won his share of trophies (winning mentality), played at the highest level and have the young Potts learn from him over the next 2-3 years… then promote Potts to first team action if he shows that he deserves it. So far he has alternated good performances with terrible ones.
He’s simply not ready for the premier league yet,loan him out for another season in the championship and next year use him on bench and cup matches,but we must hold onto him