Rumours of unrest in the West Ham dressing room have been swirling and now they’ve been addressed by captain Jarrod Bowen.
West Ham has not been a happy place to be this season.
Especially leading up to the big game against Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday.
After the 4-1 thrashing at Spurs, speculation reignited over the future of Julen Lopetegui.
Journalists claimed certain replacements had been lined up by West Ham’s owners.
The Hammers board issued Lopetegui with the dreaded ‘vote of confidence’ via a club insider.
A top Athletic journalist claimed the Hammers had become the Premier League’s circus once more.
Most damningly, though, reporter Alex Crook claimed some West Ham players and boardroom members are ‘unconvinced’ by Lopetegui.
Leading up to the much-needed 2-1 win over Man United, Crook reported unrest at the club since the appointment of the 57-year-old head coach.
Mohammed Kudus’ moment of madness had been painted as a public display of frustration towards Lopetegui.
Rumours of unrest engulf West Ham
Other stars including Lucas Paqueta and Edson Alvarez have also been seen angrily shaking their heads at the manager when substituted.
West Ham have made themselves an easy target at the moment.
Lopetegui angered fans by naming Crysencio Summerville on the bench against Man United.
With Kudus banned, the Dutchman looked a certainty to finally get the start supporters craved.
The Hammers boss was forced to listen to supporters at half-time, though. Off went Lucas Paqueta and Carlos Soler and on came Summerville.
He changed the game on its head, scoring and winning the man of the match award.
Subbing off a big name like Paqueta could give rise to more gossip about an unhappy camp.
But a candid Jarrod Bowen has shared what he told the West Ham players after the Man United win amid rumours of unrest.
The Hammers captain has revealed he addressed his teammates in the changing room after scoring the 92nd minute penalty which sealed a somewhat fortuitous victory.
Candid Bowen shares what he told West Ham players after win
And Bowen told them all that it needs to be about the team and not individuals if West Ham are to be successful.
He pointed to the attitude of Summerville as his prime example, making it clear each and every player has a role to play.
West Ham’s main man also challenged the players to back the win up in the coming matches after false dawns against Palace and Ipswich.
“I spoke in the dressing room about having a successful squad and wanting to win, and that requires everyone – not just the 11 starters,” Bowen said on West Ham’s website.
“It requires everyone, including those guys on the bench, and those who are injured or suspended.
“We all want the same thing – we all want to win. Crysencio is one example – I’m sure he’s been frustrated at times with his playing time, but he trains well and he’s one of the nicest people I’ve met, and now he’s got his reward.
“We need everyone, and now it’s up to us to build on this positive result. We’ve been in this position before and not backed it up, but we showed a really good mindset today and we need to do what we can to pick up positive results in the two games we’ve got left before the next international break.”
Bowen blast was needed in Hammers dressing room
Well said that man.
One of – if not the – key ingredients behind West Ham’s rise over the last few years has been team spirit.
It is fundamental for any remotely successful team.
With no Europe to share matches around, there will be spells where some quality players aren’t getting game time.
It’s how those players behave and approach training and coming on as a substitute that will dictate whether the Hammers – and ultimately Lopetegui – can do something good together.
Fair play to Bowen for calling that out because all of those players will have been aware of the rumours of unrest.
The fact he felt the need to address the team on the subject, suggests there may have been some substance to those claims.
Let’s hope Bowen’s teammates heed his wise words.
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