West Ham U21 manager Nick Haycock has spoken to West Ham TV about last night’s impressive draw with Tottenham.
As expected, Haycock was very complimentary about his side’s performance, but he also recognised that Spurs put in a good effort too.
He also expressed his wish to finish in the top three of the Barclays Under-21 Premier League Elite Group with four games still to play.
On last night’s match, Haycock said: "That was a pleasing performance, particularly as we'd not played for three weeks... I always knew the start was important and I thought we got about them well. Tottenham play a patient, passing style with good technical players and it was about stopping them then obviously trying to hurt them.”
He later added: "It should give the lads lots of confidence, looking at the last run of games we've had against the bigger teams, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United. We've competed and we look more at home at this level."
Haycock also praised Wellington Paulista after scoring his fifth goal and Modibo Maiga who was drafted in for Elliot Lee.
He said: "Wellington took his goal well and he was unlucky. On another night he could have come away with a hat-trick.
"To be fair to Modibo, I explained to him before the game that these lads want you to run around for them up there and show the potent threat he was in France. We asked him to hold the ball up for us, threaten in the air, in behind and cause the backline problems. In fairness to him, he did that for us."
Haycock notes that other teams will have to drop points in order for West Ham to finish third in the league, but he and his side are focused and will target full points from the last four games to take their fate into their own hands.
By Lucy Woolford, Youth and Development Squad reporter
@lucy_whufc
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