Europa League Draw, Hammers Await, Hoping To Avoid Lengthy Journeys

The draw for the Europa League will take place at midday on monday June the 22nd, West Ham are top seeds, but could face a journey nearly as lengthy as their ill fated tour of New Zealand and Australia last year. Much has been written about the amount of games that have to be played, in fact the team that wins may have ended up having to play TWENTY THREE games before they can lift the Cup. Some see the Europa League as a poisoned chalice, but this year the rewards are so much higher than in previous years, with vastly increased TV revenues and coverage plus the added incentive of a full Champions League place for the eventual victors.
Hammers have a golden opportunity to progress well in the Europa League and will be able to use the early rounds as an intense pre-season, giving fringe and youth team players the chance to shine. After all, what has happened to the Academy? If there isn't any talent coming through, why not? and what is the point of having an academy that doesn't produce players? And what has happened to Leo Chambers, he represented England at all youth levels and even made the bench a couple of times under Big Sam, Leo is still on the club's books, so where is he? He had a quad injury a couple of years ago, but surely the medical team would have sorted that by now! Or has Leo been treated with such disdain by the previous coaching staff that he has given up? After all, what is the point of trying if you know you are not going to get in to the first team, if you weren't one of Big Sam's boys you were out in the cold and that was about that!
Competing in the Europa so early presents problems as well as potential solutions, and it is to be hoped that the new regime will be able to 'give youth a chance' whilst still trying to progress as far in the competition as possible, Slaven Billic has a reputation for nurturing young talent and what better way than to do so away from the glare of the Barclays Premier League.
Of course being West Ham, there is a strong possibility that the club gets knocked out in the first round, and all the talk of being over stretched will be entirely academic!
We will have the draw here at midday - Ed