Haycock putting faith in youth

Nick Haycock has no qualms with turning to youth as he prepares to field even younger Development Squad sides in the Barclays Under-21 Premier League Elite Group.

West Ham United are bidding to return to winning ways as they take on Wolverhampton Wanderers at AFC Telford on Tuesday, eleven days after slipping to a 1-0 defeat at home to Southampton.

The Hammers fielded as many as two schoolboys and three Under-17s against the Saints and with the prospect of players heading out on loan, Haycock envisages more of the same from hereon in.

"We'll probably play even younger teams between now and the end of the season, because we'll put boys out on loan who we think need Football League experience," Haycock told West Ham TV.

"We're hoping one or two push into the first team squad and we had a make-up of eight Youth Team players against Southampton, including two schoolboys and three Under-17s on the pitch at the end.

"That's what we're looking for as a club, can they cope, can they push on and Wolverhampton Wanderers will be the next test on the agenda. We don't get carried away when we win and we don't get despondent when we lose."

The Hammers head to the midlands third in the Elite Group with two wins and two defeats to date. They are, however, some ten points adrift of runaway leaders Tottenham Hotspur, who, thanks to Saturday's 4-2 success over Arsenal, have already racked up five wins.

Wolves, meanwhile, are bottom of the pile, with just a point to show from their first four outings in the competition's second phase. Last time out, Wolves salvaged a 2-2 draw at home to Southampton, owing chiefly to a 95th minute penalty.