Lee Bowyer attempts Freddie Potts rescue after ’embarrassing’ West Ham developments
West Ham players should be ashamed of their performances under Nuno Espirito Santo over the last two months.
West Ham are embroiled in a relegation battle, and Nuno could be sacked if the Hammers fail to beat Nottingham Forest at the London Stadium on Tuesday.
The biggest blow of the season came on Saturday when West Ham were demolished 3-0 by 20th-placed Wolves.
Should the Hammers lose to Nottingham Forest, it would leave them seven points adrift of safety and staring down the barrel of an unthinkable relegation to the Championship.
Despite those results, former West Ham midfielder Lee Bowyer believes Freddie Potts and Jarrod Bowen deserve a lot more from their teammates.
Lee Bowyer has sympathy for Freddie Potts
Potts has been impressive for West Ham this season, breaking into the first team and becoming a key part of their midfield under Nuno.
However, Potts was criticised for his performance against Wolves, and he struggled to play well alongside his out-of-form teammates, with too much expected of him yet again.
Speaking on talkSPORT on 6 January, Bowyer expressed his thoughts on why Potts and Bowen should feel hard done by.
He said: “I’ve seen they’ve brought in a couple of attacking players, but they really need to sign some midfielders and defenders.
| Stat | Potts |
| Minutes played | 62 |
| Ground duels won | 6 |
| Tackles | 3 |
| Chances created | 3 |
| Pass accuracy | 75% |
“There are a lot of players that are strolling around, and it’s embarrassing, but young Potts is not one of them.
“He’s been chucked in the deep end, and he needs players around him that will help him. Potts and Bowen, I feel so sorry for them because the other players just aren’t trying.”
At just 22 years old, Potts has a lot of room to grow, and he needs some of the senior players in the squad to exert leadership and help him during tough moments.
Both players are West Ham through and through, and fans may echo Bowyer’s sentiments given the mess they are currently witnessing at both ends of the pitch.
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Bowen hasn’t been given much to work with under Nuno
The Hammers have conceded 41 goals in 20 Premier League matches, although there is an even bigger issue that Nuno hasn’t been able to rectify.
The changes he has made to the front three have caused disruption, with Callum Wilson, Lucas Paqueta, and Bowen all playing as the sole striker at certain points.
Bowen thrives best when he has a physical presence that he can make runs off down the right wing, but that simply hasn’t been given to him this season.
With Pablo and Taty Castellanos already coming through the door in the January transfer window, there is now no excuse for Bowen.
Alongside a proper number nine, he should be able to rediscover the goalscoring form that could keep West Ham in the top flight.
Stay up to date this winter with our West Ham transfer tracker. Click to see every done deal at the London Stadium, plus expert reaction from our team of writers.