West Ham have played a couple of closed door friendlies recently, with a fella called ‘Trialist’ playing up front for them. I tried ‘googling’ him, but not a lot came up. Super sleuths have found out that this mysterious character is actually Janaii Gordon-Hutton, a 17 year old who plays for Peterborough United. He seems to be doing pretty well in these matches, setting up some goals and scoring himself.
My only issue is a simple one. Our Under-21 squad is doing a lot better than our senior squad right now – in fact, they’re top of the Premier League. Blair Turgott and Elliott Lee have looked really sharp and have scored a lot of goals in the last year. I mean, we’re known as the ‘Academy of Football.’ They’re pretty damn promising!
So why are we after an unproven youngster from Peterborough United? I just don’t get it. If Big Sam is reluctant to give young Hammers a chance that he’s seen develop under his nose, why are we looking to bring in another raw talent? We’re not even pushing through academy players like we used to! I may be being really, really dense here, but I can’t see how he would be better than our current crop of youngsters with how well they’ve been performing. I mean, he’s only made one league appearance for the Posh this season so far, and they’re in League One.
Can you shed any light on the matter? Do you want us to sign up an unknown? Tweet me at @alwaysintune or leave a comment.
I think you’re not only being unkind but you’re missing a few basics Katherine.
1. The scouting of youngsters is a continual process and is all about future potential, hence the people who are best placed to judge potential make those decisions. Would you turn down an opportunity to pick up a player of great potential because of possible loyalty rather than ability?
2. Big Sam is in charge of the FIRST team not recruitment of youngsters. There is a scouting network and Tony Carr to assess these youngsters.
3. I can’t remember a time in recent years when we have had as structured development and quality of youngsters as we have now…..BUT, and it is a big but, they have to be brought through carefully and gradually like the way Big Sam has introduced Ravel. NOT in the way young Freddie Sears was brought through…..Epic Fail!
So no, I don’t think too much is wrong in the way our youngsters are being brought through or the way the Academy operates these days.
Spot on cat! Tony Carr is doing an excellent job both as developing the best crop of youngsters since rio, cole, fat frank etc and enhancing the reputation of the already world famous academy of football. Youngsters have to be protected and allowed to develop and grow into the finished article. Giving trials to promising young lads and developing them through our academy system is part of this process and not only makes perfect sense but is the right thing to do. After all it should be remembered that without such a system we would not have discovered such players as carrick or Defoe.
I agree but l feel that Tony Carr development of our youngsters is goin to waist cause BFS is not playing them just look at Liverpools manager not afraid to play a few here and there over the season . Thats wat Sam is afriad of put em in play em in some games at least 3 or 4 games in a row give em a smell of first team game and see how it is . Whst Tony Carr development is other clubs plus csuse players dont get a game so off they go to other clubs their gain is our loss
I completely agree Katherine, what is wrong with our own Youth Squad Strikers, being given a chance !!! Even if this young bloke from Posh, is good, when AC eventually comes back, we’ll probably revert back to one up front anyway, and send him back.
Wellington Paulista was banging them in left, right and centre, but never got a game, so I don’t really know what the plan is at West Ham, maybe we like Championship Football, as we’ll be there if we don’t sort it out soon
I reckon bfs is a millwall agent he does not seem to want us to win at all play 4 6 0 every week and lose every week then the following week play 4 6 0 and lose again and as we have young lads ready to run themselves into the ground why not gamble on them it makes you weep!
This lad is a raw talent and its a scenario very similar to Ravel Morrison that here mixes with the wrong crowd in Pboro and i am led to believe his contract is shortly up .
On the night that match was played,somebody who watched the game,commented that gorden was very good and stated sam should sign him,and was asking who is the trialist.we cant afford big name signings,and like morrison,we have to dig out these gems.
Janaai Gordon has had a troubled time at Peterborough. He was arrested after a street assault along with two team mates but there wasn’t enough evidence to press charges. Also, he was involved in a fight in a nightclub alongside the same two team mates. The other two have been released from their contracts at Peterborough and Gordon has been made available for transfer. He showed a lot of potential to earn a four year contract but went off the rails this year. This is his chance to redeem himself.
fat sam an embarrassment to our great club clear off fatso if we are going down lets go down playing football.not hoofball.
Why do we develop good talent let them become frustrated about first team opportunity then let them leave. whatever happened to giving young talent opportunity in cup competitions, if successful then get them in the first team.