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LeroysBoots 10:51 Fri Sep 2
Sam Westley

Who !?!

In our 25 man squad

Obviously related to Terry Westley....
I guess

LeroysBoots 2:42 Sun Sep 4
Re: Sam Westley

What terry said

terry-h 12:12 Sun Sep 4
Re: Sam Westley

Sam Westley played only one game for VVV Venlo whilst on loan last season. He was subbed after 68 minutes. Fans commented as follows " He was a parody of a full back." and " He was mediocre with atrocious ball distribution."

I watched him at the Boleyn a couple of seasons ago and remember thinking,"Christ that full back is pretty shit."

Can we please stick to the subject of the thread rather than have a go at Tony Carr who was a great servant of the club?

Eerie Descent 11:52 Sun Sep 4
Re: Sam Westley

"I've no idea if Westley is involved in recruitment"


That's what I was providing you hard evidence for. Samuelson's quotes are the ones that you should've been taking in.

And yes Alex, I do have a bit more faith in the current set up then what we've been doing for 15 years previously.

Full Claret Jacket 11:09 Sun Sep 4
Re: Sam Westley

Don't really see the problem. By all accounts the academy is thriving since the change.
I know when I'm working on jobs that I will pull in mates that I know have the skills and that I can work with.
The better the working relationship between the board and the academy, the better it is for West Ham. We are more likely to see investment there and not clashes of personalities or opinions.

Going back to the subject of Sam Westley, he's been around for a little while now. Not good enough for making the first team and will probably go the way of the young Moncurs, Potts and Lees who nobody seemed to mind hanging around. Wouldn't be surprised to see a loan to somewhere again.

ironsofcanada 10:35 Sun Sep 4
Re: Sam Westley

"My concern is mainly that the club seem to lack a technical director or such whose job it would be to overseee and evaluate the internal parts of the club."

You should apply. Your WHO dossier should suffice as a body of work.

Alex V 10:29 Sun Sep 4
Re: Sam Westley

Eerie Descent 8:44 Sun Sep 4

Delighted to hear how much faith you have. Trouble is if your hard evidence is interviews on the club website, you'll find evidence that everyone at the club is always doing a great job. I won't buy the narratives about Tony Carr 'stalling' either on blind faith.

It's very hard to evaluate the academy from the outside, almost regardless of who is or isn't stepping up to the full squad (even if they do, would they be further along with a better academy etc?). My concern is mainly that the club seem to lack a technical director or such whose job it would be to overseee and evaluate the internal parts of the club. I don't know if anyone does that at West Ham.

Private Dancer 9:12 Sun Sep 4
Re: Sam Westley

Are people still crying about the millionaire pensioner Tony Carr, or have they gone back to worrying about their bills and mortgage?

Eerie Descent 8:44 Sun Sep 4
Re: Sam Westley

Alex V 1:10 Sun Sep 4

That's exactly the reaction I wanted. Get some hard evidence thrown your way to dispute the shit you're spouting, and you spout some more shit with a slightly different angle.

As I said originally, Westley seems to be doing a great job, everything is pointing towards that, there's certainly a fuck load more hope of some talent making the first team than we had before he came in, and yes, we will indeed see the fruits of that in the next few years.

jimbo2. 2:39 Sun Sep 4
Re: Sam Westley

As others have said Alex, we won the U21 cup last season & we are signing some very promising young players for the academy. There is no doubt that things had stalled under Tony Carr over the last few seasons, with very few players coming through to play for the first team.

Alex V 1:10 Sun Sep 4
Re: Sam Westley

Don't know what reaction you want to that. As I say, I'll judge Westley and the state of the academy on what players come through. If a good bunch come through then we can give him credit for that.

My views on recruitment are that it needs to be consistent throughout the club, ie there has to be a strategy that runs through the academy and the first team. As I indicated, whether Tony Henry and others get fully involved in that at youth level, or whether Westley and others run the academy with relative autonomy I don't know. I'd prefer the former, because too often in recent years I felt the academy and first team were almost at odds with each other in terms of the production line and house style.

Eerie Descent 12:17 Sun Sep 4
Re: Sam Westley

West Ham have signed former Manchester City academy youngster Martin Samuelsen on a two-year contract.

'I'm very pleased to have signed for West Ham United,' the 18-year-old , told the club website. 'I'm just really looking forward to getting started next season.

'When I was on trial here at the end of last season, I was amazed at the individual planning for each player. They have a great plan for each player. The atmosphere there is very good.

Academy boss Terry Westley said: 'Martin is a very interesting character. He can play as a No 9 or No 10. As a young prodigy at 14, Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester City were all trying to sign him.

'He's gone through a real growth and development recently. We see the potential in this boy and we're so pleased that we managed to persuade him to come. He had a number of Italian and German clubs interested in him yet he decided to join us.'



Seems like Westley had a big impact on Samuelson joining, Alex. Fancy having a stab at a comeback on that?

Eerie Descent 12:10 Sun Sep 4
Re: Sam Westley

So, since Westley came in to oversee youth development at the club, there seems to have been a marked improvement in terms of our youth recruitment and direction of the set up, yet it's nothing to do with Westley, head of youth development.

Right, I'm glad we've cleared that up.

There are some proper bitter cunts about. Tony Carr's time was up, get over it.

Gavros 10:56 Sat Sep 3
Re: Sam Westley

Why wouldn't Westley not be involved in recruitment?

Our youth recruitment is looking top class by the way. Samuelson, Norman Stanley, Spanish Toni are all surely coming through along with Oxford and Burke.

REALGSA 10:43 Sat Sep 3
Re: Sam Westley

give the kid a chance i say

collyrob 10:16 Sat Sep 3
Re: Sam Westley

Do you want him involved in youth player recruitment or not?

Alex V 9:49 Sat Sep 3
Re: Sam Westley

I just assumed he'd be more of a coach. No harm in consulting him on players of course. But don't we have others covering recruitment?

collyrob 9:45 Sat Sep 3
Re: Sam Westley

Why shouldn't he be involved Alex?

Alex V 9:43 Sat Sep 3
Re: Sam Westley

I've no idea if Westley is involved in recruitment. Not sure he should be to be honest.

Eerie Descent 8:34 Sat Sep 3
Re: Sam Westley

You don't see an improvement in our recruitment drive of young players since Westley come in?

Do you walk about with a blindfold on?

terry-h 7:25 Sat Sep 3
Re: Sam Westley

Oxford,Burke,Samuelsen and Cullen appear to be the nearest to the first team of the current lot and three of these were developed whilst Tony Carr was in charge. Samuelsen was developed by Man City.
I don't get this 'things have improved under Westley' argument.

andyd12345 7:24 Sat Sep 3
Re: Sam Westley

Plenty of successful, professional businesses have a friend / relative of the CEO employed to do a relatively mental, low paid job. Nothing different to what has happened here. He'll never be in the first team, and having West Ham on your CV for 5 years might make a League 1/2 club more likely to pick him up.

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