The Rush Green training ground has been a little quieter than usual for the past three weeks. The Championship paused for an extra-long break after FIFA decided to combine the previously separate October and November international windows into one campaign.
Nuno Espirito Santo had a chance during this time to work more with the players who stayed behind, while a few of his players went off to represent their countries. The headline performer was Konstantinos Mavropanos, who earned rave reviews after a historic performance for Greece when they beat Germany.
His display will have caught the eye of many clubs. Games return to London Stadium this week with a visit from QPR and then a trip to Lincoln City midweek. Here’s how the players fared on their international duties:
A Night to Remember for Mavropanos
Greece have had many memorable nights over the years, but they have never beaten Germany before this window. This all changed on September 27 when they upset the football betting odds by winning 1-0 in a Nations League tie in Augsburg. It was their first victory in 11 games against the Germans, dating back to 1960 and it spoiled Jurgen Klopp’s first home game as the German head coach.
Dimitrios Kourbelis got the goal, but a lot of the credit belonged to the West Ham centre back, as Mavropanos was named the man of the match after a commanding performance. He was key in the deep-lying Greek defence that remained disciplined as Germany tried to punch their way through.
The numbers back up the man of the match selection, as Mavropanos made 17 defensive interventions and 12 clearances, more than anyone else on the pitch. He also won all 5 of his aerial duels and all 10 of his ground duels, wasn’t dribbled by once and made the game’s only last man tackle. This meant that Greece’s only shot on target in the game was enough to win.
This was a reminder for Mavropanos, who was let go by Arsenal four years ago that he can still perform against elite competition. Greece went on to build on that result during the rest of the window.
They had already won 2-1 away to Serbia and then they had a 2-2 draw at home against the Netherlands and a goalless return meeting with Germany. This meant that they’re unbeaten after 4 games and level on points with group leaders the Netherlands.
Why West Ham Fans Should Be Happy
Mavropanos’ form has been one of the key reasons why West Ham has recovered from a slow start to the Championship season. Only Bowen has scored more than the defender’s four goals. His 78% tackle success rate is the best in the squad, he leads the team for interceptions and his 50 clearances are second only to centre back partner Max Kilman.
Mavropanos’ last deal is due to say after relegation, but his performances won’t go unnoticed by Premier League and European clubs. West Ham fans hope that the club will do what they need to sign him on for another few years, especially if promotion is on the cards.
The short-term result is that Mavropanos is full of confidence, returning to the team and has no new injury concerns. His aerial dominance against QPR could be important at both ends of the pitch.
Bowen Missed Out
The other main talking point was how West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen didn’t make the 27-man squad for England’s first four Nations League fixtures. Thomas Tuchel’s attacking options were crowded.
He attempted to recall Cole Palmer, who then declined due to an injury complaint. Then there were the likes of Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, Anthony Gordon, Morgan Rogers, and teenager Rio Ngumoha.
Bowen’s omission wasn’t the biggest surprise given that he’s now playing in the Championship, but it will sting for a player who has 18 caps and a Euro 2024 final appearance on his CV.
The upside for West Ham is that Bowen has spent the break at Rush Green and not flying all around Europe, so he should be fresh for a demanding run of fixtures coming up. He’s in good form, scoring and assists-wise so far this season. The clearest route for Bowen’s return to the England team is to dominate the Championship.
Outside of Mavropanos and Bowen, international involvement for West Ham was quite low-key. There haven’t been any other reports regarding fresh injuries picked up while on duty, which is a good sign for Nuno as he gears up for a big push in the coming weeks.
The Immediate Horizon
West Ham go into the restart in second place in the Championship after 8 games. It is tight at the top as they’re just two points clear of QPR, who are in 6th place and will be their opponent in their first match back.
The Hammers went into the break winning four in a row, scoring freely in the wins over Wolves, Bury, Bolton, and Wrexham. The one concern is that West Ham has only had a single clean sheet from 8 games in all competitions this season.
That makes Mavropanos’ form especially important. If he manages to bring his Augsburg performance to the Championship, alongside Kilman, West Ham might start shutting teams down, as well as outscoring them.
The QPR game is quickly followed by a midweek trip to Lincoln City on October 14, a test of squad depth. Nuno will look to manage minutes of Mavropanos carefully, although that’s hard to do when he’s in such a good run of form.
The same concern isn’t in place for Bowen, who’s well rested after the break. That’s why West Ham looks well-positioned to continue maintaining the pace towards the top of the table.
West Ham’s job over the next few months is to ensure that the claret and blue will be back in the Premier League next season, giving players like Bowen and Mavropanos the environment to shine even more to earn their due plaudits. However, the Championship can be a slippery slope so there can’t be any taking an eye off the ball.
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