Whilst West Ham may have stunk the place out in the first half against Cardiff City last night, there was an awful lot to be excited about in the second. And none more so than Jarrod Bowen, who produced an absolutely magnificent performance as the Hammers fought back from three goals down to rescue a 3-3 draw.
The Irons captain was imperious, dominant and displayed the sort of leadership that I personally don’t think we’ve seen from him before. This wasn’t simply a case of our best player producing a few moments of individual brilliance. Bowen appeared to take responsibility for dragging the entire team back into the contest.
And don’t just take my word for it. West Ham right-back Joël Veltman described how Bowen had given his teammates something of a telling-off as the starting eleven sat down to lick their wounds at half-time, three-nil down. “Our captain stepped up when we needed him,” said the Dutchman, and he clearly wasn’t wrong.
Bowen Was Absolutely Unplayable
Bowen’s second-half performance was extraordinary. Starting on the right but drifting inside towards the middle of the pitch, often popping up in a number ten position, the captain created absolute havoc. Cardiff simply couldn’t handle him.
Whether he had been given greater freedom by new West Ham boss Scott Parker or was simply taking the initiative himself, Bowen suddenly looked like a player who had been released from his shackles. He had a hand in all three West Ham goals, demonstrating just how much damage he can do when he’s allowed to influence the game from different areas of the pitch.
First came the beautifully weighted pass that allowed Divine Mukasa to produce a wonderful chipped finish. Then another Bowen pass was cleverly flicked on by Joël Piroe, allowing Arne Engels to race through and score his first West Ham goal. Finally, with eight minutes remaining, Bowen delivered the dangerous cross that Maximilian Kilman converted to complete the comeback.
It was the sort of performance that screamed, I am the best player in this division. And frankly, I think he is. He could even have finished with more assists, creating late opportunities for Ezra Mayers and Tomáš Souček as West Ham pushed for an unlikely winner.
Parker will have been delighted with Bowen’s incredible performance
Has Scott Parker Already Found The Key?
Neither Julen Lopetegui, Graham Potter nor Nuno Espírito Santo consistently managed to get the very best out of Jarrod Bowen. That’s not to suggest he hasn’t performed brilliantly under those managers, because he quite clearly has. But too often we’ve seen him isolated on the right, expected to create something from nothing while the rest of the team struggled to get forward.
Against Cardiff, particularly in the second half, things looked rather different. Bowen was finding space centrally, combining with teammates and getting into positions where he could genuinely hurt the opposition. It’s early days, of course, and Parker has barely had an opportunity to work with the squad, but perhaps the new manager will recognise that one of the easiest ways to improve West Ham is simply to get our best player into the most threatening positions.
It doesn’t have to be particularly complicated. Give Bowen the freedom to influence games and let the opposition worry about stopping him, rather than asking him to spend much of the match chasing possession in areas where he can’t do any damage.
West Ham’s Captain Is Becoming A Leader
Perhaps even more encouraging than Bowen’s attacking performance was his leadership. We know he’s an outstanding footballer, but being a captain requires something different. It requires the confidence to challenge teammates, demand better performances and take responsibility when things are going wrong.
And according to Veltman’s account, that’s exactly what Bowen did at half-time. Indeed, in his own post-match interview, the captain explained that he had urged his teammates not to hide or allow their shoulders to slump.
That is precisely the sort of leadership West Ham have been crying out for. I also have little doubt that working under Parker, and with Mark Noble around the club, could help Bowen develop further in that role. Both understand the importance of leadership, responsibility and the relationship between the players and supporters.
And if Bowen can combine those qualities with the extraordinary footballing ability he already possesses, West Ham will have one hell of a captain. He’s already demonstrated his importance as a player, but Wednesday night’s performance suggested he might be developing into the sort of leader who can inspire the entire team when things are going wrong.
There will quite rightly be plenty of analysis of last night’s remarkable comeback, particularly the tactical changes and the transformation in the team’s attitude. But it’s only right that Bowen receives the recognition he deserves, because he was absolutely brilliant.
And on a night when we can only hope West Ham finally began turning a corner after what has been a pretty miserable three years, our captain showed exactly why he remains the most important player at the football club.