Insider ExWHUemployee has cast doubt over the future of West Ham United’s Nathan Holland due to his unimpressive loan spell.
Last July, the winger re-joined Oxford United on loan for the season – having spent time there during the 2019/20 campaign – with hopes of developing well at the League One club.
However, it does not seem as though things have gone to plan for the 23-year-old. Indeed, across the season, he has failed to ever really nail down a regular starting spot for the side.
With that in mind, Ex has claimed this suggests he wouldn’t be able to make an impact at West Ham, where the standard will obviously be higher.
Will Nathan Holland ever make it at West Ham?
Yes
No
Talking about the player on The West Ham Way podcast, he said: “Nathan, I think has done all right at Oxford.
“But the fact he’s on the subs bench now, means he’s gonna struggle to justify him ever having a career at West Ham now, doesn’t it?
“He’s 22, 23 now anyway. And as much as I rated him as a young lad, if he can’t force his way into Oxford’s team regularly, and he’s that age, it’s hard to justify him playing at West Ham.”
TIF Thoughts on Nathan Holland and West Ham…
Considering Oxford play in League One and West Ham are pushing for a Europa League semi-final against Barcelona, it’s easy to understand the gap in quality between the two clubs.
What’s more, as Ex mentions, Holland sadly doesn’t have time on his side. You can compare him to 22-year-old Ben Johnson, for instance, who is about a year younger than the loanee, but already plays regularly in the senior team.
Of course, not all players develop at the same speed, but it’s hard to look at this most recent loan spell and feel as though the winger has done enough to come back in the summer and challenge the likes of Jarrod Bowen and Said Benrahma for a spot on the flanks in David Moyes’ team.
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