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The Ward-Prowse battle

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The Ward-Prowse battle

James Ward-Prowse’s high-profile move to West Ham last summer hasn’t quite lived up to theĀ  promising start with goals and assists. The Southampton legend finds himself battling to reclaim his place in the starting line up.

Ward-Prowse quickly won over fans and media with his set-piece expertise, contributing to 16 goals (5 goals, 11 assists) in his first 40 appearances.

The Ward-Prowse battle

He scored crucial goals against Brighton, Manchester City, and Nottingham Forest, while his free-kick prowess was a welcome addition to West Ham’s arsenal.

A key factor in Ward-Prowse’s move was the hope of regular playing time boosting his chances of making Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the Euros.

Despite nearing David Beckham’s record for free-kick goals, Ward-Prowse has yet to score from a set-piece this season.
This dip in form, coupled with West Ham’s struggles, resulted in him missing out on Southgate’s latest England selection.
Moyes acknowledged the fierce competition for places in the England squad.

Ward-Prowse’s recent performances haven’t helped his cause. A poor showing against Freiburg in the Europa League and a halftime substitution against Burnley saw him dropped for the following two games. The midfield trio of Paqueta, Alvarez, and Soucek seems to have impressed Moyes more.

Ward-Prowse needs to find a way back into the manager’s plans. The emergence of a strong midfield combination puts him in a precarious position.
With West Ham facing Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League quarter-finals, Ward-Prowse has a golden opportunity to prove his worth on a big stage.
He expressed his desire to contribute more and help the team achieve European glory.

Ward-Prowse’s future at West Ham hinges on his ability to rediscover his early season form. The upcoming European matches offer a platform for redemption, but time is running out to impress Moyes and earn a regular starting spot.

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Hugh Southon is a lifelong Iron and the founding editor of ClaretandHugh. He is a national newspaper journalist of many years experience and was Bobby Moore's 'ghost' writer during the great man's lifetime. He describes ClaretandHugh as "the Hammers daily newspaper!"

Follow on Twitter @hughsouthon

2 comments

  • simonm says:

    Sentiments in this article about JWP is correct.
    But also add … too much playing in consecutive matches … being played out of position … and not being a thorough-bred defensive midfielder makes him as one of Declan’s replacements completely silly.
    Truth be told, our opponents are walzing through our midfield with only Alvarez, as a solid tackler to contend with.
    JWP, Soucek, and Bowen also have the tendency to tire easily and/or dont feel like tackling late in all of our games.
    And instead of the manager subbing them, he wont as they are his blue-eyed boys.
    So what does he do …sub Mo Kudus, the only one still tackling deep into extra time ?????

  • Eug says:

    The team is much better without JWP. He has NOT had a good game for over 4 months now. He is O K at dead ball situations, but not with a moving ball. He has no pace, never goes past anyone and his distribution and passing are poor. We were a much better team without him against Freiburg and the first half against Villa. it’s now got to the stage where I don’t want to see him in the starting line up and I know if I di I will be very despondent.. His way to much of a luxury just to have for dead ball situations.
    P.S. Hugh I don’t know if its the site or my PC but the advertising pop ups are getting in the way of enjoying the site. Especially on my mobile as well. There’s so many and they take up the whole screen.

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