West Ham Online

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

Sir Alf" wrote: ↑26 Nov 2025, 09:58 Cheers for the summary Boleyn

Ive watched a lot of the U21 games on YouTube this season and Earthy’s recent return to fitness has already shown he is ready for the first 11. Kante and Fearon next in line for minutes.  Orford a great technical player but not sure he has the physicality to step up? 

Kunty strikes again

Cheers for the summary Boleyn

Ive watched a lot of the U21 games on YouTube this season and Earthy’s recent return to fitness has already shown he is ready for the first 11. Kante and Fearon next in line for minutes.  Orford a great technical player but not sure he has the physicality to step up? 

3-0 Victory with the first half seeling the outcome. 2nd half was very dull but controlled the game. Only a few patches of good play.Earthy and Marshall didn't put the high energy in of the first half.I'm sure this was from the coach. Control,pass don't let the Truro players settle and get any rhythm. As the half progressed we did create some more chances,Earthy having a shot from distance going close.Kante,after a set piece found the ball on the edge of the area,shot and with aid of a deflection closed the game. We should have had a 4th in the 90th minute but Briggs somehow fluffed at the ball and it went into the hands of the keeper from a yard out.
Overall a great performance with Earthy the stand out,control,vision,energy,brilliant finish and a lovely assist for Marshall. Marshall showed he can finish,chase,harass and pass. Orford a few misplaced passes but a good game,needed this as he looked a bit ring rusty. Kante is very good,drives with the ball,passes well and has a knack of scoring.
I do think the formation wasn't ideal for some,it wasn't the usual 4-2-3-1 more like a 5-3-2 or a 3-4-3. This was to accommodate Orford into the middle of the park. Supressed Fearon the most as sometimes the midfield was a bit to close to each other. Orford usually likes more room too either sitting in front of the defence or further up.Clayton isn't fast enough as a wing back,Adiele is better in that role. Battrum too on that side isn't quick enough,he's a better right back than wing back.He was very solid though.
ratings
Hegyi - 7.5 good at passing it from the back,controlled his area and a couple of good saves
Battrum - 7 good defensive play but crossing was a bit poor.Good passing.
Briggs - 7 solid and strong,should have scored
Myers -7 controled the defence,good headers
Odyebeye -6 lost his man on a couple of times,not as comfortable in a 3
Clayton 7 good battle,some decent tackles but final ball poor
Fearon 7 didn't get on the ball as much as he does,solid and can pass.
Kante -8 getting bettter and better,solid,passing much better,goal and his heading helped in our box.Big,big player.More to come.
Earthy -9 outstanding goal,wants the ball,neat passing,great assist,good energy,stolled the 2nd half but was probably under orders as the game was controlled
Orford -7 good passing,one touch,a few loose passes but is the midfield general.needs more game time to get back to full speed then he will be lethal again.
Marshall -7 good goal,missed a couple more but great energy.

going forward
Earthy should start if no Summerville all-round our best option in several positions. Kante should be on the bench and get some minutes.Marshall is still a better option than Fulkrug. Pity Josh Landers didn't get much game time. Marshall is in front of him but as Nuno has stopped giving him any minutes then this has a knock on affect. Nuno has to ditch his negative bench and be proactive, Get rid of the dead wood,they are not as good as half of this team. I hope he watched the game and learnt a bit more.

We have one more game at Aldershot
Will be top if we win that

Other teams in the same competition 
Wolves beaten by Braintree Town
Man Utd beaten 4-1 by Solihull Moors

Actually not quite. Penalties follow for a bonus point.

Woking have equalised against Brighton. As it stands we are guaranteed a place in the next round 

3-0 Kante

Marshall makes it 2-0.
Earthy chasing down Truro defender,collects,could shoot but elects to pass to his mate who strikes it clean and it's 2.
The old partnership strikes again.
Nuno better be watching on a big screen in Docklands apartment

Earthy 1-0.
From a Truro corner the ball breaks from a good header out (Kante ) to Earthy just outside his own penalty area, runs with the ball the entire length of the pitch and shoots into the back of the net from 18 yards.
Tell me that he should have come on against Bournemouth.
 

West Ham United U21s: Hegyi, Battrum, Oyebade, Kanté, Briggs, Mayers, Earthy, Orford, Marshall, Fearon, ClaytonSubs: Wooster (GK), Landers, Brown, Ajala, Cummings, Caliste, Medine

starting very soooooooooon.....

Interesting to see the line up tonight . I hope Josh Landers starts,he's a great prospect and if Nuno doesn't like Marshall,as it seems, then he should be on the bench instead of Marshall and Fulkrug during the busy period coming up . Marshall unfortunately has got in the way as he's had no minutes under CRACKHEAD lately, Earthy and Orford to start surely. Swansea have a new manager and Casey started in a 3-0 defeat to BC ,played the 90 minutes so we shall see.
We could see the great u21's team reunited, 
Think the front six could be

Fearon,Kante
Earthy,Orford,Marshall.
Landers.
 
bloody good line up, a bit different from the 3-4-3 though they could still play this. it could be to much tinkering to move Fearon and Kante when they both have been playing so well.
keep the same back four that won against Liverpool.Herrick in goal

Herrick
Batrum Briggs Mayers Oyebade

not sure how Golambeckis (spell check ) fit's in, maybe on place of Briggs

Orford not been playing at all except one of those games of league teams v Premier league u21’s where he scored & set up a couple of goals I think

Casey coming back is a no brainer. Not playing regularly & can’t be worse than Kilman

Orford has been recalled from his loan at Stevenage, some suggestion that Casey might get recalled from Swansea in January.

Under 21's are playing Colchester Utd on Tues 9th December, 19:45 kick off.   Can buy tickets for away end on Colch Utd website.

Special mention for Lauris Coggin who continues to so a great job for our boys in the U18s.

U18’s behind twice against Crystal Palace and win it in the 96th minute
West Ham u18’s 3 Crystal Palace u18’s 2

Some real talent in that team. Really hope to see some of them breaking through. 

Up to 6th in the table. Impressive unbeaten run.

Impressive all round performance from Kante and most of the team. Been much the better team.

I wonder if Nuno watches the matches? 

Sweep wrote: ↑07 Nov 2025, 20:55 Absolute banger from Kante - 3-0

 

I think Kante is ready for the big leagues?

Absolute banger from Kante - 3-0