“I’ve been in this club for years and if Potter really wants to succeed, he needs to do away with some of my teammates”- Jarrod Bowen Drops Bombshell on West Ham Stars — Brutal Message Leaves Graham Potter Stunned!
It seems Graham Potter is not the only one who has snapped at West Ham as captain Jarrod Bowen finally throws his weight around too.
Julen Lopetegui raised a few eyebrows when he made Jarrod Bowen the new West Ham captain last summer.
It probably says everything about the lack of character and leadership that has been witnessed at West Ham this season that one of the quietest members of the squad was the outstanding candidate for the armband.
Bowen replaced a big character and personality in Kurt Zouma, who himself had followed on from midfield generals Declan Rice and Mark Noble.
West Ham fans absolutely love Bowen as a club legend and their talisman.
He certainly leads by example with his effort, performances, goals and assists.
But many felt Bowen was too quiet, shy and retiring to be a proper leader.
In many respects that has been proved right.
His first season as skipper could not have gone much worse with West Ham sat 17th in the Premier League table and having exited both domestic cups at the third round stage.
Bowen himself has been one of West Ham’s best and most consistent performers alongside Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Tomas Soucek.
West Ham captain’s armband has weighed heavy on Bowen
But there has been a nagging feeling he is not the type to get teammates by the scruff of the neck when things are going badly.
And my goodness things have been going badly at West Ham – as 13 wins from their last 53 Premier League games attests.
Many West Ham fans demanded Niclas Fullkrug replace Bowen as captain after he blasted the team following the 1-1 draw with Southampton last week.
West Ham conceded in the last minute – yet again – to draw with the already relegated Saints at the London Stadium.
Fullkrug called the team “s—” and questioned the mentality of some of his West Ham teammates.
The forward said half the team retreat and stop playing football when in the lead.
The German striker was criticised and dropped by Graham Potter in the aftermath. Much to the fury of fans.
But he was proved spot on as West Ham came from behind to lead 2-1 at Brighton with six minutes of normal time remaining, only to lose 3-2.
“The German’s right, we’re f—— s—-” sang fans – who also aimed another two chants about Fullkrug at West Ham boss Potter.
Bowen looked particularly demoralised as he stared blankly at West Ham fans after the shocking Brighton collapse.
Whatever your stance on whether he should be the club’s skipper, there are few other serious candidates who are going to be at the club for years to come like him.
And the England attacker certainly put in a captain’s performance at the Amex, almost trying to do too much to single-handedly get West Ham over the line.
Bowen was everywhere, setting up the two goals, tracking back and defending in his own box.
When Carlos Baleba lined up his match-winning long-range strike, the only West Ham player to even attempt to close him down was – you guessed it – Bowen.
Brutal Bowen tells Potter some players have no future at West Ham
Potter completely snapped after the game as the pressure begins to tell.
New audio then emerged of Potter saying it’s time to blame West Ham’s players.
Now brutal Bowen has told Potter some players simply have no future at West Ham.
Like Bowen, Potter has been deemed too nice and meek to really give West Ham’s underperforming players a rocket when needed.
Many Hammers fans have actually welcomed Potter’s angry outburst after just three wins in his 15 games in charge.
Now Bowen has reached the end of his tether too it seems.
In what is comfortably his most outspoken and angry interview since being made captain, Bowen has described the Brighton collapse as ‘sickening’.
And he says the fact it keeps happening shows some players are accepting low standards.
For that reason, Bowen says, a number of West Ham’s squad will need to leave if they can’t meet the standards and demands of a club which has 62,500 fans watching them every other week.
In fact Bowen says any player coasting along happy to accept being 17th and going through the motions shouldn’t be at the club next season.
Bowen used the word ‘we’ so as not to be seen to be picking out any players in particular – but he is clearly not one of those in that category.
Bowen: ‘West Ham players can’t accept being 17th’
“To lose (like that) is just sickening,” Bowen told West Ham’s website.
“But we have to look at ourselves again. I don’t think it’s the first time this season that we’ve been in a winning position and not ended up picking points from the game.
“This is the Premier League, it’s the toughest league. You’ve got to be on it for 100 minutes if it takes that long…
“We’re the ones out on the pitch that have to defend for our lives for 100 minutes if it takes that. And I don’t think we’ve done that well enough. We have to look at ourselves and dust ourselves down…
“We play for a club that turns up with 60,000 fans week in, week out and we’re 17th in the Premier League.
“If we can accept that, we shouldn’t be here. So this is why the last four games are so important, because we have so much to play for.
“Our own pride for one, the fans’ pride (for another), because like I said, playing in front of 60,000 week in, week out, being 17th, you can’t be happy with that as a player for West Ham United.”
Now that’s what West Ham fans want to hear from their captain.
