If there is one player who does not appear to have benefited from the appointment of Nuno Espirito Santo and the sacking of Graham Potter, it may be West Ham United captain Jarrod Bowen.
The skipper has only found the net once under the new boss. And that came against Everton, during Nuno Espirito Santo’s first match in charge, two months ago tomorrow.
Bowen has let his frustrations show at Rush Green, too, wondering when his luck will turn. The good news is that, the last time he went more than four Premier League games without a goal, West Ham United’s usually free-scoring talisman then racked up six in his next eight appearances.
Sunday’s clash with a wounded Liverpool would certainly be a good moment for Jarrod Bowen to ignite the engine and start revving once again.
Fortunately, the skipper’s six-game goal-drought has coincided with some much-improved performances at the other end of the pitch, Max Kilman notwithstanding, of course. Kilman was arguably at fault for three of the last four goals conceded by the Hammers.
But, at the same time, Jean-Clair Todibo produced probably his best display in English football during last week’s 2-2 draw at AFC Bournemouth.
And while Nuno was indebted to an ‘incredible’ Alphonse Areola display – a masterclass in shot-stopping from the revitalised Frenchman – the way they stood up to that Bournemouth tidal wave was testament to the resilience instilled in this previously weak-willed, yellow-bellied outfit.
Jarrod Bowen hails West Ham United’s new-found team spirit under Nuno Espirito Santo
Towards the end of the Graham Potter era, West Ham picked up an unhelpful tendency to fold like a house of cards in a slight summer’s breeze.
They conceded three goals in quick succession against both Sunderland, Chelsea and Tottenham.
And while the Hammers have been far from faultless since Potter’s overdue sacking, the improvements made regarding their organisation, their team spirit, and particularly their set-piece defending is a very welcome development.
“I think we’ve been a lot tougher, a lot more physical,” Bowen tells Stadium Astro. “You know, defending really really well.
“Even in the games we’ve conceded goals, we just spoke about that spirit. I think that spirit of, when we’re we’re losing a game, you don’t give up on the pitch. We don’t go under, you know, you keep fighting.”
West Ham came from behind to win successive Premier League home matches for the first time in 13 months when seeing off both Newcastle and Burnley in back-to-back weekends.
“In the Newcastle game, the Burnley game, we were behind in both of those games and we got six points from them,” adds Bowen. “So I think that says a lot about the group to be in a losing situation turning it into a winning situation.
“So that is one thing that [Nuno] has really tried to stamp down on.”
Nuno felt West Ham demonstrated ‘resilience’ in Bournemouth draw
It is not hard to imagine that, if Potter had remained at the helm, West Ham would have picked up zero points as opposed to an impressive seven against Newcastle, Burnley and Bournemouth.
They certainly rode their luck on the South Coast – the Cherries racked up an ‘XG’ of over four – but the fact is West Ham still took something from a game they would surely have lost under Potter.
“It’s a very tough place to come,” Nuno said after his side climbed above Burnley and into 17th place.
“The first half was us. We took advantage of the straight ball, of the second ball. We managed the tempo of the game, we managed to control Bournemouth, and we achieved a good lead.
“In the second half, Bournemouth did exactly the same as we did [in the first]. They managed better the circumstances of the game, we couldn’t get out, they put us against the ropes, they engaged five players in the last line.
“The boys were organised but were missing the pass to go out of pressure, to really hurt them with space, under tough circumstances.
“But the positive is that I think the team was resilient, was organised, was compact and was really committed.”
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