MY ACCOUNT
West Ham boss David Moyes is convinced that Jarrod Bowen should be in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for next month’s World Cup.
The Hammers host Bournemouth at the London Stadium this evening knowing three points would see them leap from 17th place in the Premier League table up into the division’s top half.
Versatile forward Bowen, 25, has netted in his last four home appearances but missed a crucial penalty against Liverpool last time out in a 1-0 defeat at Anfield.
Having bagged 18 goals in all competitions last season, the former Hull man has struggled for consistency this term — but Moyes is certain things will soon improve for his No20.
The Scot said: “I think Jarrod has done well in recent weeks. I know the penalty miss draws attention to him, but he is doing a lot of good things.
“If you said to me, I would have probably put my house on Jarrod scoring it the other night. That’s how confident I felt about him. But these things happen.
“You have also got to talk about good saves from the keeper and going the right way. There are other parts to it.”
Lion in wait
Bowen earned his first four England caps over the summer, often catching the eye despite disappointing team performances.
In September, he was called up once again for England’s Nations League fixtures with Italy and Germany but did not feature in either contest.
That prompted speculation that a place in Southgate’s final group for Qatar may be beyond reach for the Hammers ace — though Moyes thinks his man still has plenty to offer the Three Lions.
“Jarrod’s trying really hard to give Gareth a big decision to make,” Moyes added. “He is pushing and his form has got better.
“I don’t pick the England team — and I am glad that I don’t as it is such a difficult choice because of the selection of players — but Jarrod wants to score. He has got that feeling at the moment.
“He has stepped up. He has scored a couple of goals when you least expect it. If you are the manager of England, you need someone who brings that possibility.
“You also need people who are not going to sulk. People who are going to train hard. People who can’t wait to come on as a substitute rather than people who don’t want to.
“You have all the right characteristics with Jarrod whether it be a starter or a non-starter. I am desperate for him to play for England.”
Cherries ripe
Visiting Bournemouth were beaten 1-0 by Southampton last Wednesday, bringing an end to an impressive six-game unbeaten streak under caretaker boss Gary O’Neil.
It promises to be a special occasion for the Cherries chief, who enjoyed a two-and-a-half season playing spell with the Hammers between 2011 and 2013.
“I loved it there,” said O’Neil when reflecting on his time in East London.
“I suffered a bad injury which sort of changed my career for me. But I managed to come back from it and still play afterwards, which was a bonus.
“I managed to get back into the Premier League with them with promotion.
“There are some good people there, it’s a great club, I have really fond memories of my time there. Obviously at a different stadium now but looking forward to going back.”
Aside from the nostalgia, 39-year-old O’Neil expects a stern challenge from his former club this evening.
“I think they’ve won four of their last six, if you include Europe,” he said. “Plus, they gave Liverpool a big scare on Wednesday night, ran them very close with a really good performance.
“It’s a tough place to go. We need to be at 100% again. Hopefully, improve a few bits from the other night and go and give another good account of ourselves.”
Did you know?
The two teams will meet for the 11th time in the Premier League this evening. The Hammers have won three to Bournemouth’s four, with three draws.
West Ham took four points from the two meetings in the Cherries’ most-recent Premier League season (2019-20), including a 4-0 home win in Moyes’ first game of his second spell as Irons boss on New Year’s Day 2020.
The East Londoners have won their last five Premier League games on a Monday — they have never won six in a row on a specific day of the week in the competition.
Bournemouth have had fewer shots than any other side in the top flight this season (86).
