West Ham Online

Doesn’t seem to be working out for our ex youth player:

https://www.nufcblog.co.uk/2025/01/23/a ... ys-at-qpr/

Absolute disaster for Harrison Ashby – The ultimate embarrassment after brutal 10 days at QPRTwo years ago, Newcastle United completed the signing of Harrison Ashby, who joined alongside January signing Anthony Gordon in a £3m move from West Ham.

The Hammers tried to tie him down to a new contract but failed with their final offer, seeing him arrive on Tyneside in the hope of learning from and eventually replacing Kieran Trippier.A few years on, it hasn’t really gone to play for the right-back, who is receiving pelters from QPR fans after struggling to impress in the Championship.Ashby’s disastrous 10 daysTo say it’s been a January to forget for Ashby would be a massive understatement, starting with a disastrous display in QPR’s FA Cup defeat at Leicester the weekend before last.

As you can see via the highlights below, the defender was at fault for three of Leicester’s six goals, losing the ball in his own half leading up to the Foxes second, failing to track his man for their third and giving away a penalty for Leicester’s fourth.It was an FA Cup outing to forget and saw him dropped for QPR’s league clash with Plymouth last weekend, but things went from bad to worse on Tuesday night.After another benching, Ashby was brought on in the 75th minute by QPR boss Marti Cifuentes – then subbed off, uninjured, for Jack Colback 15 minutes later.The ultimate embarrassment for any player and another tough moment for the Newcastle loanee, who stormed straight down the tunnel after the sub was subbed off.

Brutal comments from QPR fansAfter a string of poor performances, it seems QPR supporters are far from impressed by the 23-year-old, who is no longer a youngster or Under-21 prospect.Following disastrous appearances against Leicester and Hull last night, we found these comments:

‘Harrison Ashby, uninjured, gets hooked 15mins after coming on. The ultimate embarrassment for a player, fully deserved, and a proper reality check from Marti.’‘I’d send him back prime example of player who thinks he’s better than he is!’
‘Straight off down the tunnel at the end as well, hopefully we send him back this week.’
‘Could very well turn into a decent player, but there’s a line between bravery and stupidity, which he hasn’t found yet, and it’s costing us.’
‘Trying to comprehend Ashby last night & noticed he went down the tunnel at the end as others celebrated. He’s a liability after Leicester and now Hull where I don’t think I’ve seen a player mess up every time he got the ball. Perhaps sending him back to NUFC best outcome?’
‘He’s so erratic…he’s done it since day one! But because they are leading to goals now it’s noticed. One of the worst waste of money loans I can think off since the Prem days…’

If things turn sour after his subbing last night, I wouldn’t be shocked if Newcastle opted to cut short his loan and find him another move for the second half of the season.

 

Ron Eff" wrote: ↑23 Jan 2025, 14:18

threesixty wrote: ↑23 Jan 2025, 13:50 If so few of our academy players end up playing top regular top level football by the time they are 25, what is the point of it?

I think it was Brentford that got rid of theirs (not sure if that is still true).
Just feels like we have nurtured the wrong players for years or is this just normal business for all football clubs?

Or is it actually related to how the 1st team has been for us in recent years?





 

£18m in 2000, £105m in 2023 are two examples of why you keep it. Obviously others along the way. It pays for itself when one or more come through to those levels. 

It also gave us our club captain for however many years, who would otherwise have ended up in some other academy. 

Ron Eff" wrote: ↑23 Jan 2025, 14:18

threesixty wrote: ↑23 Jan 2025, 13:50 If so few of our academy players end up playing top regular top level football by the time they are 25, what is the point of it?

I think it was Brentford that got rid of theirs (not sure if that is still true).
Just feels like we have nurtured the wrong players for years or is this just normal business for all football clubs?

Or is it actually related to how the 1st team has been for us in recent years?




 

£18m in 2000, £105m in 2023 are two examples of why you keep it. Obviously others along the way. It pays for itself when one or more come through to those levels. 

It also gave us our club captain for however many years, who would otherwise have ended up in some other academy. 

 

threesixty wrote: ↑23 Jan 2025, 13:50 If so few of our academy players end up playing top regular top level football by the time they are 25, what is the point of it?

I think it was Brentford that got rid of theirs (not sure if that is still true).
Just feels like we have nurtured the wrong players for years or is this just normal business for all football clubs?

Or is it actually related to how the 1st team has been for us in recent years?


 

Let's not forget about Conor Coventry, now playing in League 1. I can see a similar path for Potts.

If so few of our academy players end up playing top regular top level football by the time they are 25, what is the point of it?

I think it was Brentford that got rid of theirs (not sure if that is still true).
Just feels like we have nurtured the wrong players for years or is this just normal business for all football clubs?

Or is it actually related to how the 1st team has been for us in recent years?

 

Big contrast to the other player at QPR on loan, Ronnie Edwards, England under 21 defender,  class player from a QPR family
.

Mad Ferret" wrote: ↑23 Jan 2025, 12:13

Takashi Miike" wrote: ↑23 Jan 2025, 12:00 Hartson, Ashton, Morley, Quinn, Kitson, Cottee (2nd time) - All had better goals per game records

How many were signed as right-wingers?

I was really disappointed Ashby left as I thought he'd looked remarkably mature when he played - I really thought there was a player in there. Newcastle was a stupid move though, definitely driven by money. He should have been smart like Ngakia - even though it hasn't turned out brilliantly for him, it was a better move - but Ashby chased money and now his career is looking slightly wobbly. His chances at Newcastle look pretty slim.

Quina was another one that a few went mad about when he moved on. He scored a great goal for Watford shortly after, which was met with ‘typical West Ham letting him leave’.

He’s now 25 and playing in the Cypriot league for Pafos.

Mad Ferret" wrote: ↑23 Jan 2025, 11:46

Ron Eff" wrote: ↑23 Jan 2025, 11:44 Love that he was referred to as the new Antonio earlier on this thread like that’s the barometer of the type of player we should be gutted to let go!

Antonio is our highest ever PL goalscorer. 

Takashi Miike" wrote: ↑23 Jan 2025, 12:00 Hartson, Ashton, Morley, Quinn, Kitson, Cottee (2nd time) - All had better goals per game records

A player we let go and has gone on to be quite decent is that Toni Martinez. I never thought much of him but he ended up at Porto and now playing for Alavez in Spain. We paid 2.5 million for him and let him go for nothing.

Remember Armstrong Oko-Flex, another who seemed to be rated in some circles.  After zero goals in 13 loan appearances for Swansea he is now at FC Zürich with two goals in 27 appearances.

Still don't know what happened to Reece Oxford though.  Lack of ability or attitude?  See on Wiki he has been struggling with injury and long Covid whilst at Augsburg.  Pity, looked a player for a short time.

Hartson, Ashton, Morley, Quinn, Kitson, Cottee (2nd time) - All had better goals per game records

Ron Eff" wrote: ↑23 Jan 2025, 11:44 Love that he was referred to as the new Antonio earlier on this thread like that’s the barometer of the type of player we should be gutted to let go!

Mubama doesn’t make the grade as a Premier League player. I’m positive on that. He’ll bounce around the lower leagues, Championship at best, once Man City move him on. The most bizarre signing for them. He lacks too many of the basics for me. Doesn’t have a football brain, a good first touch, and doesn’t appear blessed with exceptional pace of good feet. 

Love that he was referred to as the new Antonio earlier on this thread like that’s the barometer of the type of player we should be gutted to let go!

Leaving out Declan Rice, as the exception, when considering which of our erstwhile youngsters have done well this century the best achiever is probably Josh Cullen.

Neither Diangana or Ngakia are regular starters for their Championship teams and Johnson at Ipswich is not a nailed down first eleven starter either.

In the old first division days there was more time to nurture players but the standard back then to become a first team regular was quite some way below what is required for today’s Premier League.

twoleftbraincells,

I have no idea what you posted as you are on my foe list.

He is no Freddie Potts

How's JEREMY Ngakia getting on?

I remember the absolute pelters the club were getting for letting such a talent go at the time. 

Mad Ferret" wrote: ↑23 Jan 2025, 10:14

Massive Attack" wrote: ↑23 Jan 2025, 09:55

Ron Eff" wrote: ↑23 Jan 2025, 09:47 I never got the hype. Seems the QPR fans opinion of him is consistent with how he viewed himself here - thinks he is better than he is. 

Same for Diangana. The meltdown over that with the benefit of hindsight is quite funny. Getting £18m for him was robbery. 

Yeah the Baggies lost their tiny minds agreeing to paying that amount. He was alright but nowhere near that good.

Our Academy can produce a fair bit of money at times in more recent years..

Diangana - £18M
Ashby - £3M
Mubama - £2M
Perkins - £1M (or there abouts)
Rice - £105M

I do agree, except I think we'll regret Mubama.

He's the next Antonio.

 

I always thought Ashby would do ok but then I thought longelo looked like he could be player, but i watched a Brum game last year and he looked really poor. Leave it to the experts 

Massive Attack" wrote: ↑23 Jan 2025, 09:55

Ron Eff" wrote: ↑23 Jan 2025, 09:47 I never got the hype. Seems the QPR fans opinion of him is consistent with how he viewed himself here - thinks he is better than he is. 

Same for Diangana. The meltdown over that with the benefit of hindsight is quite funny. Getting £18m for him was robbery. 

Yeah the Baggies lost their tiny minds agreeing to paying that amount. He was alright but nowhere near that good.

Our Academy can produce a fair bit of money at times in more recent years..

Diangana - £18M
Ashby - £3M
Mubama - £2M
Perkins - £1M (or there abouts)
Rice - £105M

Ron Eff" wrote: ↑23 Jan 2025, 09:47 I never got the hype. Seems the QPR fans opinion of him is consistent with how he viewed himself here - thinks he is better than he is. 

Same for Diangana. The meltdown over that with the benefit of hindsight is quite funny. Getting £18m for him was robbery.