Hammers boss eager to develop former Manchester United teenager (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

West Ham United boss uncertain whether former Manchester United teenager can handle pressure

10:47am Thursday 2nd February 2012 in News By Simon Mail

West Ham United boss Sam Allardyce admits he is unsure whether former Manchester United teenager Ravel Morrison will handle the pressure at his new club.

The Hammers signed the attacker this week but Allardyce faces a challenge working with a player whose temperament, but not his undoubted talent, has been questioned.

Allardyce said: "I don't know yet [if he can handle it] because a few weeks of working with him will tell me what his psychological side is to his talent.

"If that's very good and if his brain's good and his attitude's good then the talent will come flooding out and it won't be a problem. If he's good enough he'll be old enough.

"He wants to play first-team football if it's possible and he thinks he's got a better chance of doing that at West Ham than he has with Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.

"We're just very pleased that he's chosen us and we can develop him hopefully very quickly into the first team as I've done this season with young Dan Potts at left-back.

"I think young players breaking through and putting the older players under threat with their talent is always a good healthy thing at a football club so hopefully he will be as good as everybody says he can be."