While things may not currently be going according to plan
for West Ham United's first team, that certainly isn't the
case at youth team level.
The Club's Under-18 hopefuls have made a superb start to the 2006-07 campaign, winning nine of their opening 10 matches, and Academy Director Tony Carr is understandably delighted with the progress of his young troops as they prepare for a well-deserved rest this weekend.
"Of course, I'm really pleased with how the season has started," says Tony. "We've won nine of our first 10 games and, in all honesty, it could well have been 10 out of 10.
"We lost at Norwich at the end of September and felt we really should have got something from the game, so that was a little blip but the boys have bounced back from it and won the last three since then.
"We've not dominated it by any stretch of the imagination, though. Every game has been hard fought and has been won by giving maximum effort. We've had to come from behind, we've squandered leads, but we've shown the character to come through it and that is very satisfying
"Arsenal and Chelsea are up there at the top of the league with us, and it is going to be a fight all the way. We've got to keep this form up all season to stay in contention, and that is where the real hard work lies - maintaining the level of performance we have shown early on and finding that consistency.
"We play 28 matches in total, so there are another 18 to go and the hard work is in front of us. We have five more games before the Christmas break and the next three - against Arsenal, Southampton and Chelsea - are going to be a real test for us.
"If we can come through that period with our position in tact, then I am sure we will have every chance of building on our success in the second half of the campaign and finishing well."
And while the individual development of his young players may be a priority for Tony, he admits that the habit of securing victories is one he is more than happy for them to get used to.
"We are on a winning run at the moment and we want to keep it that way," he says. It's a happy camp at the moment and the players enjoy getting their £10 win bonus every week!
"We obviously look at performances in front of results at this level but, of course, the two go hand in hand. Generally, if you are winning every week, it is because you are playing well and of a higher quality than your opponents
"However, the important thing to remember is that we don't win at all costs. It is good for the players to build that winning mentality at a young age because, if they reach the first team, they will discover that winning is all that matters at that level, but for now there are other attributes which are more important to master."
The Club's Under-18 hopefuls have made a superb start to the 2006-07 campaign, winning nine of their opening 10 matches, and Academy Director Tony Carr is understandably delighted with the progress of his young troops as they prepare for a well-deserved rest this weekend.
"Of course, I'm really pleased with how the season has started," says Tony. "We've won nine of our first 10 games and, in all honesty, it could well have been 10 out of 10.
"We lost at Norwich at the end of September and felt we really should have got something from the game, so that was a little blip but the boys have bounced back from it and won the last three since then.
"We've not dominated it by any stretch of the imagination, though. Every game has been hard fought and has been won by giving maximum effort. We've had to come from behind, we've squandered leads, but we've shown the character to come through it and that is very satisfying
"Arsenal and Chelsea are up there at the top of the league with us, and it is going to be a fight all the way. We've got to keep this form up all season to stay in contention, and that is where the real hard work lies - maintaining the level of performance we have shown early on and finding that consistency.
"We play 28 matches in total, so there are another 18 to go and the hard work is in front of us. We have five more games before the Christmas break and the next three - against Arsenal, Southampton and Chelsea - are going to be a real test for us.
"If we can come through that period with our position in tact, then I am sure we will have every chance of building on our success in the second half of the campaign and finishing well."
And while the individual development of his young players may be a priority for Tony, he admits that the habit of securing victories is one he is more than happy for them to get used to.
"We are on a winning run at the moment and we want to keep it that way," he says. It's a happy camp at the moment and the players enjoy getting their £10 win bonus every week!
"We obviously look at performances in front of results at this level but, of course, the two go hand in hand. Generally, if you are winning every week, it is because you are playing well and of a higher quality than your opponents
"However, the important thing to remember is that we don't win at all costs. It is good for the players to build that winning mentality at a young age because, if they reach the first team, they will discover that winning is all that matters at that level, but for now there are other attributes which are more important to master."