Already fast fading in the rear view mirror, the [Newcastle](https://www.claretandhugh.info/west-ham-united-3-1-newcastle-united-final-score-first-impressions/) win has quickly been consigned to memory as West Ham move on to the next in their series of crucial fixtures as the club struggles to fight its way out of the relegation zone.
The three points taken last week mean the Irons are now in turn just three points behind 17th-placed Burnley who visit on Saturday – although it would take a four goal avalanche to jump above them.
So a ‘six – pointer’ in the true sense of the expression. Nuno hinted at his pre-game press conference that there’ll likely be changes, but kept his cards very close to his chest in admitting that several were struggling with injuries picked up in the Magpies’ victory. Bringing further fringe players from the academy ahead of Saturday’s clash was his solution.
Espírito Santo dives into the academy talent pool
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The identities of those brought in and now training with the seniors for this weekend’s home fixture has been revealed: The [standard.co.uk](https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/nuno-espirito-santo-west-ham-academy-b1256928.html) this morning confirms:
_“Nuno Espirito Santo has confirmed that four academy players are training full-time with West Ham’s first team as the Hammers boss looks to youth to turn the club’s fortunes around._
_Ezra Mayers, Finlay Herrick, Airidas Golambeckis, and Mohamadou Kante have all been rewarded for their fine form in the Irons’ youth set-up and will now hope to make an impression on the first team.”_
On top of Freddie Potts, Callum Marshall and George Earthy – already in the ‘seniors’ – this marks something of a seismic shift in West Ham’s player profile. It also offers the fascinating prospect of another youngster making it onto the pitch for a Hammers senior debut against the Clarets: Ezra Mayers already snuck onto the bench almost unnoticed against the Magpies and he’ll be hoping to go one better at the weekend.
Considering that West Ham’s summer recruits in midfield – Mateus Fernandes and Soungoutou Magassa are also 21 and 22 respectively, finally the Hammers’ are able to demonstrate that under Nuno, the ‘dads army’ days appear behind them.