West Ham U21s

[Mex Martillo]

The reformatted PL2 structure, starts today. Basically the same fornat sees the young Hammers play 20 league fixtures across the 29-team league, ten home games and ten away. Previously a 26-team division, Premier League 2 has this season been expanded to 29 competing clubs with the addition of Birmingham City, Burnley and Ipswich Town, who were awarded Category One academy status in 2025. Fixturs are selected from seeded pots.As in the previous two campaigns, the top 16 teams at the end of the regular season in March will progress to the play-offs, which will also serve as qualification for the 2026/27 Premier League International Cup.New for this season, the eight clubs finishing between 17th and 24th will enter a cross-category play-off competition alongside the top eight teams from the Professional Development League (Category Two). This competition will also feature a knockout format, starting with a round of 16.PL2 Fixtures 2025/26
August 2025Monday 18 August – Nottingham Forest (H) 7pm
Friday 22 August – Manchester City (A) 7pm
Friday 29 August – Sunderland (A) 7pmSeptember 2025Friday 19 September – Birmingham City (H) 7pm
Friday 26 September – Brighton & Hove Albion (H) 7pmOctober 2025Saturday 4 October – Arsenal (A) 1pm
Friday 24 October – Aston Villa (H) 7pm
Friday 31 October – Wolverhampton Wanderers (A) 7pmNovember 2025Friday 7 November – Liverpool (H) 7pmJanuary 2026Friday 9 January – Tottenham Hotspur (A) 7pm
Friday 16 January – Chelsea (H) 7pm
Friday 23 January – Norwich City (H) 7pmFebruary 2026Monday 2 February – Middlesbrough (A) 7pm
Friday 6 February – Fulham (A) 7pm
Monday 16 February – Leicester City (H) 7pm
Monday 23 February – Crystal Palace (H) 7pm
Saturday 28 February – Leeds United (A) 12.30pmMarch 2026Friday 6 March – Derby County (A) 7pm
Friday 13 March – Reading (H) 7pm
Monday 23 March – Blackburn Rovers (A) 7pm

goalkeeper

Finlay Herrick	G	19	6' 0"	--	England	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
Finley Hooper13	G	17	--	--	England	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--

outfield players                

Junior Robinson	D	21	--	--	England
Regan Clayton	D	20	--	--	England
Luis Brown	D	19	--	--	England
Josh Briggs	D	19	--	--	Northern Ireland
Emeka Adeile	D	18	5' 8"	--	England
Ryan Battrum	D	19	--	--	England
Jethro Medine	D	18	5' 8"	--	England
Ezra Mayers	D	18	6' 0"	--	England
Rayan Oyebade	D	18	--	--	England
Luizão5	D	23	6' 2"	174 lbs	Brazil
Airidas Golambeckis6	D	17	--	--	England
Daniel Rigge	M	19	--	--	England
Mohamadou Kanté	M	19	5' 10"	161 lbs	France
Tyron Akpata	M	19	--	--	England
Gabriel Caliste	M	18	--	--	Mauritius
Preston Fearon	M	18	--	--	England
Riley Hargan	M	18	--	--	England
Lewis Orford8	M	19	6' 2"	161 lbs	England
Daniel Cummings	F	19	6' 1"	--	Scotland
Josh Landers	F	18	--	--	Scotland
Joshua Ajala	F	18	--	--	England
Elisha Sowanmi	F	18	--	--	England

[Massive Attack]

This discussion about Academy youth players aint going to drift in to Cambodian noncing is it?

[Mike Oxsaw]

I wouldn't be at all surprised if Sullivan had "let it be known", rather than state directly, that none of the youth are to be risked in the first team before Christmas as selling them in January to generate operating cash-flow is hard-wired into his acute business plan.

Load of insane made up bollocks 
Youth players making the first team are far more valuable 

..."Youth players making the first team are far more valuable "...


Not if you're looking to help out your agent/mates with transfer commissions and associated brown envelopes straight into your personal sky  they're not.

Sullivan says "Thanks for your unthinking valuable financial contributions, though". He'll probably mention you in dispatches, too; for services in lining his pockets.

You can hold your head with pride.

[XKhammer]

I wouldn't be at all surprised if Sullivan had "let it be known", rather than state directly, that none of the youth are to be risked in the first team before Christmas as selling them in January to generate operating cash-flow is hard-wired into his acute business plan.

Load of insane made up bollocks 
Youth players making the first team are far more valuable 

[Mike Oxsaw]

I wouldn't be at all surprised if Sullivan had "let it be known", rather than state directly, that none of the youth are to be risked in the first team before Christmas as selling them in January to generate operating cash-flow is hard-wired into his acute business plan.

[Lee Trundle]

Agreed.

Having 2 goalkeepers on the bench says that he doesn't give a fuck about the youth prospects we have.

[Fauxstralian]

We were told neither striker was fit to play a full match … start Marshall then bring one of the others on later
2 spare keepers on the bench … put Fearon, Kante, Earthy there 
Play JWP & Soucek who can’t run out of sight in a week … after our last game v Forest proved how with energy & pace in there we CAN compete 

Wrong wrong wrong
Have no confidence in Potters team selection and subs
You wonder what he is seeing
 

[Pav BML]

Fearon looks a top prospect, I am struggling to see why you'd not give him a chance over someone like Prowse. Constantly passing and moving, looks a lot better than the slow static midfield we've got atm. I know MK Dons probably put out a 2nd string but really positive from the youngsters (plus Fab)

[El Scorchio]

Marshall should feature even if its just 15 mins. He’s able to cope  physically and runs his nuts off closing down defenders. Thats worth him getting a shot because we have no one up top who does that well consistently. Watched the U21s game from last night and he puts in 100%.   

Him not being on the bench on Saturday was retarded. Plain and simple. Your two senior strikers are clearly not fit to play. 

[Massive Attack]

He just needs a few games to prove himself that boy. Reminds me of Defoe with his movement around the box and goal scoring instinct. Always had a good feeling about him just as I did about Defoe. I don't think the lad would let us down.

[Sir Alf]

Marshall should feature even if its just 15 mins. He’s able to cope  physically and runs his nuts off closing down defenders. Thats worth him getting a shot because we have no one up top who does that well consistently. Watched the U21s game from last night and he puts in 100%.   

[El Scorchio]

Our goalie looks decent in the MK Dons game.

Hahaha I noticted that too! I have a strong feeling he's going to be between the sticks for the first team at some point this season.






That'll shut everyone up about no youth team players getting picked..... 

[Far Cough UKunt]

Our goalie looks decent in the MK Dons game.

[Tomshardware]

What a wasted opportunity the Wolves Cup game was to experiment with 1 or 2 of these players but divvy Potter wouldn't have a bar of it, instead preferring to pnly use Dads Army.

Blitzing a seasoned 4th Division Team Away like that is quite impressive full of youngsters.

The other thing is, both Fearon and especially Marshall showed their quality in spells during the Pre Season under the thick div and yet still couldn't see it enough to play them at anytime this season with 0 minutes.

The obsession of sticking Paqueta up top has been  laughable and also an insult to the likes of Marshall who is a specialist Striker, albeit an a Academy player.

Even Potts has only had 45 minutes 2nd half against Chelsea with the game already long gone having no chance to make a real impact.

Agreed, that Wolves game was an ideal chance to give some young players a chance of first team experience.

[Alfs]

Highlights 


 

[Alfs]

This is against MK Dons first team where each group of 4 has a Premier league u21 team in
Good work out for the lads against MEN


 

Not quite.  MK Dons team was a mish mash of the 2nd team and youth.  A good result, all the same.

[El Scorchio]

I think there's something in this. Manager after manager has ignored the youth. I do remember Sullivan trying to pressure Ben Johnson into switching agent to one of his cronies (or was it someone connected to Moyes?) if he wanted a new contract which I think was why he ended up leaving.

However I would also say the step from that level to the first team is massive. It is one thing looking good at that level compared to in the premier league. (Look at so many players who tore it up at youth level and never really made it- Neil Mellor etc) Virtually none of the players ignored by our managers have gone on to do anything, although there is a diachotomy between the relative success of our youth sides and the number of players who actually make it in the game at the top level which is slightly baffling. When you look at the Arsenal team we stuffed 5-1 and two of them have gone on to make an impact at PL level and one for England. Could be a case of 11 very good youth players vs 9 good ones plus two fucking outstanding ones but who knows.

It also doesn't help that we are always fucking desperate for points and firefighting that it doesn't seem fair to drop kids in that environment although i don't really see an excuse for not having Marshall on the bench on Saturday for example. I would rank Moyes as the biggest culprit for this at those times when we were doing OK in the league and also in the early stages of Europe. He had the luxury to afford a few appearances then, but never did despite having a tiny squad and flogging players week in week out.

[Mike Oxsaw]

Just watched the highlights, all the goals were taken so well. No idea why these two lads aren't getting a shot at the first team. 

Elevation from the academy means no agent's commissions and no brown envelopes. It's hiding there in plain sight.

[Massive Attack]

Just watched the highlights, all the goals were taken so well. No idea why these two lads aren't getting a shot at the first team. 

You do. He's the manager.

[Dick Shaftsbury]

Just watched the highlights, all the goals were taken so well. No idea why these two lads aren't getting a shot at the first team. 

[Massive Attack]

What a wasted opportunity the Wolves Cup game was to experiment with 1 or 2 of these players but divvy Potter wouldn't have a bar of it, instead preferring to pnly use Dads Army.

Blitzing a seasoned 4th Division Team Away like that is quite impressive full of youngsters.

The other thing is, both Fearon and especially Marshall showed their quality in spells during the Pre Season under the thick div and yet still couldn't see it enough to play them at anytime this season with 0 minutes.

The obsession of sticking Paqueta up top has been  laughable and also an insult to the likes of Marshall who is a specialist Striker, albeit an a Academy player.

Even Potts has only had 45 minutes 2nd half against Chelsea with the game already long gone having no chance to make a real impact.

[Fauxstralian]

This is against MK Dons first team where each group of 4 has a Premier league u21 team in
Good work out for the lads against MEN

Fearon was outstanding in his brief cameo in America 
Hasn’t been seen since
Meanwhile Arsenal & Liverpool have played 15 & 16yo’s
Arsenal also play MylesSkelly & Nwaneri who were in the FA Youth Cup final team humiliated 5-1 at home by our boys

[Bowener]

Fearon Clayton Kante exceptional last night Marshall Earthy and Fab all great games. Potter are you watching?

[Alfs]

Fearon scored 2, too.  Time that they both got some minutes in the first team.

[Iron Duke]

Impressive 5-1 win. Marshall with 2 second half goals 

[Iron Duke]

Currently 3-0 up at MK Dons. Fearon with 2. Marshall, Kante, Potts, Earthy all playing. Someone called Fabianski in goal - could be one to look out for.