From Bucharest to Bristol: West Ham potential who could cause problems for Bristol Rovers
On Tuesday night, Bristol Rovers’ U21s will face West Ham United’s U21s in the EFL Trophy.
Bristol Rovers are back in action tomorrow evening, hosting West Ham United U21s in the EFL Trophy, just three days after defeating Shrewsbury Town 2-0 in League One. The game is unlikely to draw a full house.
With an attendance of just over 1,000 in the first game against Cheltenham Town two weeks ago, which Rovers easily won 4-1, it would be surprising to see that figure duplicated, with many Gasheads opting to skip the competition due to the nature of Tuesday’s matchup.
The Football League Trophy was introduced in 2016, with Premier League and Championship academies playing Crystal Palace, Chelsea three times, Swansea City, West Ham, and Reading, winning four and losing three of their seven matches versus junior sides.
The previous time the Gas hosted the Hammers’ U21s, the Premier League kids won 3-1, and you would expect this season’s crop to be among the better of academy sides in the competition’s southern pool.
The east London club’s U18s won the FA Youth Cup last season, and a lot of the group are now playing regularly for the Irons’ youth team and will no certainly be engaged at the Mem. Furthermore, five wins from six games in Premier League 2 have put West Ham in a great early position in terms of league form.
Granted, it’s difficult to anticipate how youngsters would fare against a senior football squad, but Rovers’ starting lineup tomorrow could include some of their own youngsters. However, who are the three Clarets players who could pose problems for the Gas tomorrow evening?
Gideon Kodua
With two league goals so far this season, West Ham winger Kodua was named the club’s finest scholar last season, winning the renowned Dylan Tombides Award.
Last season, the 18-year-old was a crucial component of Kevin Keens’ U18s, captaining the team to 27 wins in 32 games as the east London outfit finished first in the U18 Premier League South and lifted the FA Youth Cup.
Kodua scored the Irons’ third goal in a 5-1 victory over Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere in the Youth Cup final at the Emirates Stadium, with an incredible lob from roughly 40 yards away.
If he plays on Tuesday, it will be his second appearance in this tournament, having started for West Ham U21s in their 2-1 win over Cheltenham Town last season.
Callum Marshall
Marshall, who also scored in the Youth Cup final and was assisted by Kodua, is the U21s’ leading scorer this season with five league goals in four matches and is joint-second in Premier League 2.
Despite being a regular for Northern Ireland’s U21s, the 18-year-old has earned his senior debut for his country. He was unlucky to have a dream goal on debut against Denmark waved off for offside back in June, with manager Michael O’Neill saying: “His enthusiasm for the game shone through.” He’s 18 years old and plays Under 18s football, making him too young for the 21s.
“But you could see he could score and finish, so we brought him into the two senior camps, and he kept doing that.” We decided to bring him along for the qualifiers because he was scoring and finishing in them. To be honest, he’s come a long way in just three weeks.”
The striker has already played in this competition before, with games against MK Dons and Cheltenham last season, where he began to break into the U21s squad after excellent performances for the U18s.
Kaelan Casey
Casey is another player highly respected within West Ham, having earned his senior debut last season away at Steaua Bucharest while also being on the bench for the Hammers’ 2-0 Premier League defeat at Tottenham Hotspur. In the summer, the teenager was also given a new four-year deal.
The centre-back has already scored a goal this season and was one of six scorers in the Youth Cup final. He has been a regular at centre-back for Steve Potts’ side this season and was a regular for both youth teams last season.
With two EFL Trophy outings under his belt, Tuesday will be a fantastic test for the defender, who will no likely face a talented front line with plenty of experience.
