Rumbled West Ham man Jarrod Bowen must spend the World Cup break watching videos of Arsenal and Liverpool stars.
Nobody has epitomised David Moyes’s West Ham transformation over the last two years more than Bowen.
On his return to West Ham Moyes stated he wanted to rebuild the club around younger, talented, hard-working players hungry to prove themselves. And Bowen was the perfect example of that.
There are a whole host of West Ham players struggling to hit the high standards they have set for themselves this season.
None more so than Bowen.
Just as the in-form ex Hull man has epitomised West Ham’s rise, his huge drop off is epitomising their current malaise.
Bowen’s form was so good for West Ham over the last two seasons that Liverpool and Arsenal were both linked with moves for the Hammers attacker.
He remained at West Ham, though, where he looks like a player who has very much been found out by opposition defenders.
West Ham fans find it maddening watching Bowen play this term. Receiving the ball on the right with his back to goal and tightly marked, Bowen either ends up in a heap rubbing his ankle or comes inside and lays the ball off, conceding defeat to the fullback.
Of course it is not all Bowen’s fault, he is playing in a side and system which simply is not functioning.
Rumbled West Ham man Jarrod Bowen must spend World Cup break watching videos of Arsenal and Liverpool stars
Watching left-footed players in the same position as the West Ham man at Arsenal and Liverpool is a stark contrast.
Bukayo Saka and Mohamed Salah are – like Bowen – marked men no matter who they play against.
The difference is the Arsenal and Liverpool aces have not only dealt with becoming marked men, but their performance levels have gone up a level as a result.
Saka will be one of the first names on the England teamsheet during the World Cup. But Moyes admitted Bowen knows his performances have not been good enough to warrant being in the Three Lions mix for Qatar after he was snubbed by Gareth Southgate.
Now rumbled West Ham man Bowen must spend the World Cup break watching videos of Arsenal and Liverpool stars Saka and Salah if he wants to take his game to the next level.
Bowen plays far too much with his back to the defender, leaving himself nowhere to go and giving the full-back the upper hand from the get go.
Watching Arsenal and Liverpool in action and one of the big features of their play is that Saka and Salah always have their marker on the back foot.
Saka plays with his body turned facing the opposition’s goal. So when he receives the ball he has the option of coming inside or taking the defender on the outside. Salah is very much the same.
That alone gives the Arsenal and Liverpool stars a distinct advantage over the defenders. It creates uncertainty in the defender’s mind.
And that is the first change Bowen must make to his game instead of constantly receiving the ball with his back to goal, retreating 15 yards and passing backwards, sideways or crumpling into a heap.
Playing and receiving the ball with their bodies turned towards the opposition’s goal also allows both Saka and Salah to play quick first-time lay-offs when tightly marked and then use their pace to get in behind for a return pass.
Watching both Arsenal’s Saka and Liverpool’s Salah will also be chastening for Bowen when it comes to how robust they both are.
Saka and Salah are both kicked and nibbled at constantly by the opposition. But while Salah can be guilty of diving in the box, make no mistake both he and his Arsenal counterpart are physically and mentally tough.
They take the knocks and keep going, keep probing, keep putting the opposition on the back foot.
If Moyes and his West Ham staff are not already, they should be showing Bowen videos of Saka and Salah to improve his game.
Anyone who has watched Amazon’s All Or Nothing documentary on Arsenal will see that Mikel Arteta and his staff show their players – even the experienced ones – clips of other top stars with suggestions on how they can emulate elements of their game.
And Bowen is certainly not too good to learn from top players who have proved they can shine even after becoming marked men.
West Ham and Bowen are far too easy to play against nowadays.
And the Hammers forward must glean as much as he can from how the likes of Saka and Salah play if he wants to continue to progress.
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