It’s never a great sign when watching West Ham United’s Under-21s travel to MK Dons in the EFL Trophy is more fun than watching Graham Potter’s team implode week after week on the Premier League stage.
At least, in the midst of a miserable present at the London Stadium, the future looks bright. Presuming that chances for the next generation of Hammers ever arrive, of course.
That George Earthy, Freddie Potts and arguably even Callum Marshall are featuring for the reserves against fourth-tier opposition in the competition formerly known as the Papa John’s and the Johnstone’s Paint rather than the first-team is, according to some West Ham United supporters, a pretty damning indictment of Graham Potter’s squad management.
Maybe Potter is wary of throwing the Hammers’ brightest talents in at the deep end before they are ready to cast off the armbands. Some may argue that he is right to take a patient approach. The atmosphere at the London Stadium is hardly conducive to developing young players right now.
Those of an alternative viewpoint, however, will respond by asking aloud if Potts, Earthy, Marshall or especially Mohamadou Kante could really be performing any worse than James Ward-Prowse, Guido Rodriguez or Niclas Fullkrug?
West Ham United fans rave about Mohamadou Kante after MK Dons EFL Cup thrashing
A fortnight ago, Graham Potter admitted he had been impressed with Kante’s performances with the Under-21s, and while training with the senior squad over the summer. Albeit, he stops short of taking a leaf out of Mark Robson’s book. West Ham’s reserve coach, Robson likened Kante to a young Patrick Vieira back in August.
But the similarities are obvious. A powerhouse French midfielder whose fleet of foot and softness of touch belies his imposing physique.
Now, after Kante set himself a target of 20 goals and assists during his first season in East London, the former Paris FC starlet moved one step closer as he set up Preston Fearon’s second in West Ham’s 5-1 thrashing of MK Dons.
He’s now up to three.
“Kante is class,” one fan wrote on X after watching Kante singe the eyebrows of an MK Dons full-back before crossing for Fearon to convert, for the second time in a matter of minutes, with a sweeping left-footed finish.
“Kante is mustard,” another agrees, while one feels that Potter is crying out for a midfielder of Kante’s talents.
Albeit, that is a role fellow Frenchman Soungoutou Magassa is expected to play, alongside fellow August addition Mateus Fernandes.
“I’d be fast tracking some of these under-21s into the first-team and get rid of some of the dross that clearly aren’t up to it. Shame that Potter just won’t do it. Kante is exactly the type of player we are crying out for in the centre of the park.
“Mo Kante involved again and looks incredible!”
“Fearon and Kante absolutely have to play for the senior team at some point this season.”
Preston Fearon and Callum Marshall hit braces as Emeka Adiele grabs two assists
While 18-year-old Preston Fearon showed why captain Jarrod Bowen calls him a ‘special’ talent – two effortless finishes from the edge of the box – Callum Marshall also hit a brace at Stadium MK. His first an impudent backheel.
Emeka Adiele created two goals himself from the left-hand side during a dominant performance in which Potts and Earthy once again looked far too good for the level, alongside 17-year-old skipper Airidas Golambeckis.
“Very impressed with these Under-21 lads today. Fearon, Golambeckis, Kante, Earthy, Potts and Marshall all did very well. High hopes for Fearon and Golambeckis.”
“There are genuinely three midfielders starting for our U21s right now – Fearon, Potts, Kante – who are better than James Ward-Prowse.”
“Two great finishes from Marshall tonight. Fearon was class, Kante looks a great prospect, and Golambeckis looks quality as well.”
“Usual suspects; Marshall, Fearon, Kante, Earthy. These boys are ready for the first team!”
“Surely Fearon, Potts and Kante have gotta be better options in the match day squads than Guido, JWP and Irving?”
“Potts, Fearon, Kante yet Guido and Ward-Prowse get ahead [of them]. Kante,Fearon maybe too soon, but Potts needs to actively be in the first team. Someone said before the season, if we signed Potts for £15 million from a Championship team, we would be buzzing and he’d be playing.
“More enjoyable than watching the first-team! Get Marshall, Earthy around it instead of the likes of Irving Guido etc. They are a waste of time. Fearon and Kante probably need loans.”
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