When Jarrod Bowen was announced as a West Ham United player on transfer deadline day there was a rare sense of optimism.
The Hammers chased a deal for the striker for two days and eventually got their man for a fee believed to be in the region of £22million (The Guardian).
Bowen is exactly the kind of signing West Ham should have been making.
But his capture served to only permeate the dark clouds gathering over West Ham for less than 24 hours.
No sooner had he been unveiled to fans on the London Stadium pitch than Bowen watched his new teammates twice squander commanding two-goal leads against relegation rivals Brighton to draw 3-3.
It is a result that sent West Ham into the bottom three. And with back-to-back away games against Manchester City and Liverpool up next – either side of the winter break – the Hammers will likely remain there for some time yet.
West Ham facing reality of relegation
The Brighton game was simply a must-win, as was Everton before it. West Ham are running out of “winnable” matches. And Brighton was certainly one of them.
Much of the blame was attributed to Moyes’s negative substitutions and tactics. Specifically his decision to replace Michail Antonio with Arthur Masuaku and switch to a 352 when 3-1 up on 75 minutes.
In reality West Ham now need to win five games to survive. Or win four and draw three.
That means they must get positive results from half their remaining matches.
If it looks unlikely it’s because it is.
Whether Bowen can be a catalyst for a dramatic upturn in West Ham’s fortunes remains to be seen.
Bowen clause could make him the most pointless signing yet
But that too is unlikely given he faces his own question marks as to whether he can make the step up to the Premier League.
Signing Bowen should have been an exciting statement about the future of West Ham.
But it is now all on Moyes to ensure he does not become the most pointless signing yet for the Hammers.
That’s because a relegation release clause of £20million has been inserted into Bowen’s contract (The Guardian).
That clause was said to be the reason West Ham had to wait until the last knockings of deadline day to seal his capture.
As negative as it may sound, even the most optimistic of West Ham fans feel the club looks doomed after the Brighton collapse.
Hammers hopes look bleak with no Bowen Championship contingency
So Bowen’s stay in East London could last just four months if Moyes does not start doing what he bullishly declared he has always done – winning football matches.
And to rub salt in the wound, the Hammers will not make a penny profit when his clause his activated should they drop in May.
The signing would have made perfect sense if it was done with one eye on a contingency for the Championship.
After all what better for West Ham to have in their armoury after relegation than a player who has proven himself a top performer at that level?
West Ham’s only hope is that Moyes starts getting a tune out of this team for 90 minutes and that Bowen uses the next four months to prove himself in the Premier League, with one eye on his inevitable next move should the Hammers drop.
And the hope will be that in doing so Bowen somehow helps West Ham pick up the five wins they need to survive, as unlikely as that may seem at this stage.
That being said the owners HAD to do something. And Bowen’s enthusiasm and hunger to be a hit could be infectious for teammates and supporters alike.
He could be the new Carlos Tevez and fire the East Londoners to safety.
It is just a shame Moyes’s one-game honeymoon, omens – and the clauses – seem to suggest he won’t be sticking around if he doesn’t.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
