Will Greenidge is looking for West Ham United U21s to show a positive reaction in Friday’s Premier League 2 match away to Leicester City.
The development side head to Leicester on Friday evening for their third match of the 2022/23 season, having sustained defeats in the opening pair of fixtures – away to Fulham and at home to Arsenal.
Defender Greenidge admitted that the loss to Arsenal came against a very talented Gunners side but has called on the Hammers to showcase their own ability and get points on the board against the Foxes.
“Arsenal was a tough game,” Greenidge said. “They were a very good side and they had a lot of older players in a very experienced team. They played how they wanted to play and we found it tough, but that’s going to happen sometimes and it’s about how we react.
“I don’t think we need to really change anything but we need to keep working hard and get rid of some sloppy mistakes which may have cost us at times. We need to up our quality too and, if we do that, we can give anyone a good game.”
Having missed the opening day loss to Fulham, Greenidge returned to play 90 minutes against Arsenal and is feeling the benefits of a full pre-season with the U21s.
The versatile defender is anticipating a tough test away to Leicester but believes the young Hammers can claim the win, if they perform at their best.
He added: “I’m feeling really good. I’ve had a few full weeks of training and got another 90 minutes under my belt last week, so I can’t complain. I’m building up my fitness again and I’m looking forward to the Leicester game.
“Leicester is always a tough game. It’ll be under the lights and we’ll be travelling on the day, so it’s on us to make sure we are up for it. If we start fast, take the game to them, and play the way we know we can play, then we can definitely get the result.”