Former West Ham player and manager Kevin Nolan believes make Jarrod Bowen captain this season was a mistake by new coach Julen Lopetegui.
Lopetegui has endured a miserable start at the London Stadium, and it is increasingly looking as if appointing the Spanish tactician may have been the wrong decision by the east London outfit.
West Ham will no doubt be hoping to turn things around soon, but Nolan believes Lopetegui has done himself no favors by putting too much pressure on star player Bowen by handing him the captain’s armband.
Although Nolan likes Bowen, he thinks that probably has worked out England international losing something of his game as he struggles with the additional expectations on his shoulders in this new role.
Jarrod Bowen’s captaincy decision was a mistake, says former West Ham man
Nolan was part of David Moyes’ staff at West Ham, so he is someone who will know Bowen well and have a good idea of ​​what makes him tick as a player.
So Lopetegui might do well to heed his advice on Bowen here.
“What’s happened is maybe he put too much pressure on Jarrod too soon,” Nolan said BBC 5 live.
“He’s just come back from the Euros. If you look at a lot of people who have also come back from the Euros, they’ve started quite slowly to try and get back to that kind of season. It’s put a lot of pressure on Jarrod’s shoulders.
“Listen, he can take it. He’s a big guy. He’s a good guy, a great professional, a great professional. When I heard he got the captaincy, and I know it’s a huge thing for him, I thought it was a little too soon for him and it would affect his game? you know what i mean?
“Would that take away from who Jarrod is? And when I’m looking at it now and I see him after the game, he’s probably putting a lot more effort into it, whereas he was firmly focused on Jarrod Bowen and being the best he can be for West Ham.”
