This is a guest report written by Will Smith.

Lewis Orford is a 20-year-old right-footed central midfielder who operates as a deep-lying playmaker in a 4-2-3-1 for West Ham’s U21s. He has been part of the West Ham set-up since the age of 5 and has represented England a handful of times at youth level. Orford has 8 goals and 7 assists from 21 games this season, 3 of these games were for Stevenage during a brief loan spell.  

Just shy of 6’0″, Orford has a lean body type with a wide frame, suggesting there is room to gain muscle, which is needed for the next phase of his development. Orford possesses good power and acceleration when driving forward, although he doesn’t have very high top-end speed, meaning defenders can often quickly catch up to him. Orford has good stamina, which allows him to be the main progressive outlet for his team for the whole game. Aerially, Orford is competent, although a lack of aggression means he has very little impact when competing for the ball.  

Confident and composed in possession even when under pressure. Orford consistently receives the ball in pockets of space, looking to play forward early, and demonstrates good vision and execution in breaking through lines with well-weighted passes. However, he attempts too many high-risk passes over the top when a simpler pass is on, resulting in too many turnovers. He is an effective set-piece taker who regularly puts effective crosses into dangerous areas from deep free-kicks and in-swinging corners.  Despite having good ball control, he occasionally requires an additional touch to get the ball under control when on the move or from throw-ins, which can negatively affect attacking tempo. Orford also doesn’t have the ball manipulation skills to be effective in tight areas, although he can hold off a defender long enough to complete a pass to a supporting teammate.  

Orford displays a high work rate out of possession, especially when performing a high press, and can be disruptive in buildup play. He possesses good deceleration, not allowing the opponent to turn or beat him due to his initial speed. When in the final third, Orford positions himself on the edge of the area with the hope of mopping up any loose balls from the attack. Although he would be better entering the box to be a more direct goal threat, as he does have a good shooting technique and good shot power, which is backed up by his current goal tally this season. Deeper defensive phases are a weakness in Orford’s game, often being positioned too high to have an impact, and lacks the recovery speed and intensity to make up for it. When he is in the correct positioning, he is too often beaten easily due to a lack of aggression and agility, which makes him an easy target for oncoming attackers.  

Overall, Orford clearly has strong attacking qualities, especially when it comes to progressing play, but defensive limitations and inconsistent decision-making reduce his overall impact on the game. That being said, his attacking output consistently outweighs his defensive play, which creates an interesting trade-off between progression and stability in midfield. Orford definitely wouldn’t look out of place in a high-pressing, possession-based League One side, which is reinforced by some impressive performances in the EFL Trophy this season. However, with improvements to his defensive intensity and positioning, partnered with a reduction in high-risk passes, Orford is capable of consistently performing for a high-flying championship team in the future.