Opinion from the stands

“Clone him” – Some fans praise West Ham man who’s providing the “blueprint”

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When Jarrod Bowen arrived at the London Stadium on transfer deadline day in January, the Hammers were in dire straits. As he came on to make his debut against Manchester City, the Irons were in the relegation zone, where they would remain until his first goal for the club in a much needed 3-1 over Southampton, which lifted West Ham out of the bottom three.

They have not returned to the relegation zone since, and the 23-year-old’s influence has been a decisive factor in making sure David Moyes’ side beat Chelsea, when he registered two assists, ensuring a three-point cushion to the drop zone.

Hammers supporters have been having their say on the Englishman’s first six months at the London Stadium, and it hasn’t taken long for most to be convinced of his quality.

Some fans believe the 23-year-old recruit ticked all the boxes of what the Hammers required to get themselves out of trouble. While he did lack much Premier League experience, Bowen was a proven goalscorer in the Championship firing in 52 strikes for Hull City.

Many supporters also mentioned fellow January arrival Tomas Soucek, who has become a vitally important player at the London Stadium. The duo has won most fans over with their industrious displays for the Hammers in the midfield, and together the pair have made 20 appearances since arriving.

Others have noticed how Hull City are struggling to retain the Championship status since selling Bowen, in the first half of the season alone he had notched 16 of their 57 goals. The Tigres are currently in the bottom three, but their loss has been the Hammers’ gain and could make a telling contribution in keeping the Irons afloat.

Meanwhile, an abundance of fans were quick to praise the Englishman’s work ethic since arriving in London and wouldn’t mind if there were more of him available to David Moyes.

In the Premier League Bowen is yet to recreate his blistering goalscoring form, having found the back of the net once. Supporters did suggest he might need to score more frequently to avoid taking a knock to his confidence, so he can continue developing.

Not everyone was convinced by his displays in claret and blue though, with some supporters yet to be convinced by the January arrival, though if he can continue his performances which have seen him average match rating of seven out of ten, they may yet come around.

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