West Ham and fans will be even more livid with Gareth Southgate as news emerges from the England camp overnight.
Everyone connected with West Ham was fuirous – if not overly surprised – when Gareth Southgate snubbed Jarrod Bowen and James Ward-Prowse for his latest England squad.
There was widespread disbelief – and not just among Hammers supporters – when Southgate selected the likes of Kalvin Phillips, Jordan Henderson, Eddie Nketiah and Callum Wilson over the duo.
Both Bowen and £30m signing Ward-Prowse have started the season on fire for West Ham.
Bowen scored in West Ham’s 2-1 win over Luton last time out while Ward-Prowse grabbed another assist.
Between them the Hammers duo have eight goals and assists in the opening four games. Bowen with three goals and an assist and Ward-Prowse with three assists and a goal thus far.
They have helped propel West Ham into the top four of the fledgling table. And the Premier League’s media team even seemed to have a dig at Southgate for failing to call them up for fixtures against Ukraine and Scotland.
West Ham academy graduate Rio Ferdinand even said yesterday that Ward-Prowse should retire from international duty in protest at the snub.
Well West Ham and fans will be even more livid with Southgate as news emerges from the England camp overnight.
It was announced yesterday evening that Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold – who operates as a midfielder now – and Man City’s Jack Grealish have withdrawn from the England squad through injury.
As a result Bowen and Ward-Prowse were expected to be next in line to replace them. After all one is in the squad as a wide attacker, the other as a central midfielder. But no.
Southgate – pre-empting that suggestion – has announced “there are no further call ups planned” to replace the injured duo.
Worse still, the announcement makes it clear that Southgate and his medical team knew about the injuries to Alexander-Arnold and Grealish, yet still called them up ahead of the West Ham duo, only to send them away and not replace them.
“Jack Grealish and Trent Alexander-Arnold have been ruled out of England’s September fixtures,” England announced overnight.
“The pair reported to St. George’s Park on Monday but have since withdrawn from the Three Lions squad following checks on injuries sustained prior to camp…
“There are no further call ups planned as Gareth Southgate’s squad prepare for Saturday’s UEFA EURO 2024 against Ukraine in Wroclaw and Tuesday’s 150th Anniversary Heritage Match with Scotland in Glasgow.”
What an absolute joke. Southgate knew about the injuries yet still snubbed Bowen and Ward-Prowse despite their brilliant start to the season with West Ham.
It only feeds into the belief among supporters there is a bias towards players at so-called “big clubs” and that Southgate has his favourites.
He could have salvaged this ridiculous situation by at least showing the Hammers pair were next in line and giving them the place in the squad they have earned.
That would be far too logical, though, it seems.
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