Sky Sports journalist shares ‘nature of the beast’ verdict on West Ham United duo James Ward-Prowse and Jarrod Bowen
West Ham duo James Ward-Prowse and Jarrod Bowen have every right to feel hard done by following their snub by Gareth Southgate.
The Hammers pair missed out on a spot in the latest England squad for the matches against Ukraine and Scotland this month.
The Three Lions take on Ukraine in Euro 2024 qualifying action on Saturday (9 September) before a friendly against the Scots on Tuesday (12 September).
“England squad announcements are rarely met with universal approval,” journalist Dan Long wrote for Sky Sports. “It is the nature of the beast. But what would they be without controversy?
“This time around there are four notable absentees who can, arguably, have every reason to be feeling hard done by.”
Discussing snubs for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins and Arsenal defender Ben White, Long added: “The same can be said for West Ham pair James Ward-Prowse and Jarrod Bowen.”
Poor decision
Every England manager has come under scrutiny for decisions they have made over the years, and sometimes it is simply the media being relentless in their criticism.
But the decision from Southgate to omit both Ward-Prowse and Bowen from his latest Three Lions squad is certainly a strange one, and so the scrutiny surrounding his choice is not surprising.
Midfield maestro Ward-Prowse has hit the ground running immediately in East London following his summer switch from relegated Southampton, with a goal and three assists from his first three Hammers matches.
Making his omission more surprising is the fact that Southgate has chosen Manchester City man Kalvin Phillips, who has barely featured under Pep Guardiola since his move from Leeds United.
Bowen meanwhile has three goals and an assist from his four appearances in claret and blue this season. His omission is, however, perhaps more understandable given how he is competing with the likes of Arsenal ace Bukayo Saka and Manchester City star Phil Foden.
In other West Ham news, a Sky Sports journalist has shared a “mistake” verdict on a new Hammers signing.