West Ham United put in a truly abysmal performance against Wolves in the Premier League on Saturday and a real issue with Jarrod Bowen can no longer be denied.
Jarrod Bowen has been West Ham’s best and most consistent player over the past few years, there is no doubting that.
West Ham signed Bowen from Hull City on transfer deadline day in January 2020 and he has gone on to bag 80 goals and 53 assists in 258 games for the East London outfit.
The 29-year-old always gives his all and never gives up.
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He is on another level to every other player at the London Stadium from a quality standpoint as well.
Bowen has shown great determination, spirit and genuine passion throughout his six years with the Hammers.
However, West Ham now have a big problem with the England international and it is entirely self-inflicted.
West Ham have a Jarrod Bowen problem that was magnified vs Wolves
That first-half performance against Wolves was right up there with worst we’ve seen from the Hammers over the past couple of years, and there have been plenty to choose from!
Make no mistake, that is a team destined for relegation.
The lack of quality in this West Ham is clear and obvious for everyone to see.
However, there is another huge issue that has played a big part in our struggles.
Despite Bowen’s brilliance, he is certainly not captain material.
His lack of leadership reared its ugly head during the Hammers’ defeat to Liverpool in November, when he failed to intervene when Lucas Paqueta was talking himself into being sent off.
Against Wolves on Saturday, Bowen simply didn’t want to know. He went missing when West Ham needed their captain the most.
He should be holding his teammates accountable more often.
One of the Hammers greatest ever captains – Billy Bonds – passed away just over a month ago. Can you imagine what he would have made of that performance against Wolves?
West Ham must address Jarrod Bowen problem
There are too many passengers in the West Ham squad right now and I include Nuno Espirito Santo in that statement.
Bowen is one of the few players Hammers fans will be desperate to keep. However, if he does remain at the club beyond the end of this season, he simply cannot continue as captain.
Forget Man of the Match, who was the WORST West Ham player today?
And tell us why in the comments
When things are this bad, you don’t need a captain who ‘leads by example with his football’.
You need someone who gets in his teammates’ faces and lays down the law.
A captain is someone who you’d want right in the trenches next to you. As harsh as this may sound, Bowen is not that man for West Ham, it’s that simple.
The real issue that the Hammers have is that there simply aren’t any capable leaders at the football club.
The first priority in the summer, regardless of whether we go down or stay up, should be to sign a natural-born leader who can come in and take the armband immediately.
Jarrod Bowen has been given a fair chance but it’s so obvious that he’s not cut-out for the role. It’s time to move on from the doomed experiment … for everyone’s sake.
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