A group of West Ham United fans think that Jarrod Bowen could benefit by being replaced as captain.
Bowen was named as West Ham United captain back in the summer of 2024 following the departure of Kurt Zouma
While there’s little doubt that the England international has and continues to carry this team on his back, Bowen’s recent form has concerned West Ham fans.
Why is Jarrod Bowen struggling when we need him most?
As such, Hammers News asked our followers on our Facebook page a very simple question. How can Nuno Espirito Santo get Bowen back to his best?
Some supporters believe that letting go of the armband could actually help him.
West Ham fans believe being captain is negatively impacting Bowen
It should be noted that Bowen is still West Ham’s most important player, and that even slight criticism of his form is perhaps a reflection of the high standards to which he’s held more than anything else.
Still, West Ham’s perilous position means that anything is up for debate. No one is suggesting that Bowen’s importance to the cause has waned, just that desperate times may call for desperate measures.
One fan wrote: “Take the armband off him and let him get on with his game.”
We all love Jarrod Bowen – but is anyone actually undroppable? 🤔
Let us know where YOU stand on what is becoming the great debate – and why!
Another added: “He needs the burden of captaincy lifted off his shoulders. Forwards and creative players should never be captains in my opinion. The team needs to be run from the back or the middle. [Bobby] Moore, [Billy] Bonds, [Julian] Dicks for example.”
“Give the band to Big Tom [Soucek] for the rest of the season and let Jarrod enjoy his football again and get back to the world class player he is”, was another suggestion.
“Make Soucek the captain. Never thought Jarrod was the right choice. Maybe he can then concentrate on his play”, read another comment.
This supporter said: “Take away the captaincy and take the weight off his shoulders. Give it to Soucek, should be a midfielder for captain, just the position to control the team.”
“He needs to hold his hands up and say the captaincy is too heavy for him and pass on,” claimed another fan. “I would choose Soucek personally, maybe that would give Bowen the head space and the less stress of that responsibility.”
Who could replace Jarrod Bowen as West Ham United captain?
Dinos Mavropanos has captained West Ham before, taking the armband when Bowen was rested for the FA Cup win over Burton last month.
Tomas Soucek is another obvious candidate, given the wealth of his experience.
The Czech midfielder, so often a leader on the pitch anyway, may prove to be a popular choice given the comments above.
It does seem unlikely that Nuno would make any such decisions during the final ten games of the Premier League season but the fact that fans are even discussing it is certainly noteworthy.
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