Mark Robson was delighted with the character and effort shown by West Ham United U21s in their 2-1 win away to Everton.
The young Hammers started the new year with a brilliant performance at Haig Avenue to claim a deserved three points away to the Toffees, continuing a terrific run of form that started prior to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in November.
Kamarai Swyer opened the scoring with a well-taken header from a Junior Robinson cross in the first half, before Divin Mubama struck from the penalty spot early in the second. While Everton pulled a goal back through Tom Cannon’s free-kick, the Irons held on for a big victory.
Speaking after the match, Robson hailed his team’s commitment and maturity in securing the win…
It was a very, very good performance.
I thought we were excellent in the first half. We played very well in the first half and probably should have wrapped the game up with the opportunities and chances we had. We could have killed the game off, but we went two goals up in the second half.
But Everton then had a bit of pressure in terms of balls in the box, but we dealt with it well. They scored a fantastic free-kick and it was backs to the wall a little bit, but we showed fantastic character.
I’m so pleased and proud of how the lads dealt with it tonight and we’ve got a good result to start the second half of the season.
We spoke before the game about our last few games.
We’d had two wins in the league; played really well in one of them and defended so well in the other one. We got those six points, and we also got the win over Feyenoord in the Premier League International Cup, which was a great performance also.
We took that confidence into this game versus Everton. We perhaps could have been a bit braver and bolder in the second half, like we were in the first, and I told the lads after the game that I want them to do that. I want them to be in control and, apart from the odd counter-attack, we were good value for the win.
Our young lads have been excellent.
They deserve an opportunity to play in the U21s, and we also want to show them that pathway. We have a really good, hungry group who want to play for West Ham United. They want to break into the first team and they’re doing everything they can in the U18s, and they’re bringing it to the U21s too.
They have grown over the last six months, which we were hoping would happen. We want to see them push on, get better, and keep progressing. That process, that step up, has been a good one, and it'll probably be in the coming months that we see the real fruits of that.
Luizao is a really lovely lad.
In terms of his conditioning, we need to make sure we look after him. But he’s done really well in training, and we wanted to give him a bit of game time against Everton. It was a long way for him to come, but he’ll get used to the travel involved.
He has settled in well and I think, in the next three or four weeks, he will get used to our players and our style of play. But the first signs are really pleasing.
We have a style of playing and it’s clear to see what that looks like.
We have to find solutions around opposition trying to stop our style of play and the boys have done really well. We want to keep that going and even enhance it.
Some of the lads have come in today and done so well. We’ve got a good team and we worked hard for each other in this win.
It’s been a sad week with the passing of Joint-Chairman David Gold.
I had the pleasure of meeting him a few times, both before I joined West Ham as a coach and during my time with the Academy. I can remember being in a lift with him when I was at Gillingham, and he was a genuine and engaging person, something I continued to find whenever I spoke with him in the years after.
All the thoughts of everyone at the Academy of Football are with his daughters Jacqueline and Vanessa, his fiancée Lesley, and the entire Gold family at this sad and difficult time.