West Ham United forward Jarrod Bowen victim of farcical Gareth Southgate decision
West Ham United forward Jarrod Bowen has been left out of the England matchday squad to face Germany on Monday (26 September) at Wembley.
Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold has also been left out of the squad, which is surprising because he did not play any part against Italy.
The omission of Bowen may send a strong message, but it is farcical nevertheless.
Bowen has struggled with form this season for the Hammers, and Southgate may have delivered a bold statement here.
But England are currently struggling at the moment, having gone five games without a victory for the first time since 2014.
They are struggling to score from open play, and Southgate will be without Jack Grealish who miss out through suspension after he picked up a yellow card in the 1-0 defeat by Italy in Milan on Friday.
It makes little sense to drop Bowen out of the matchday squad altogether. It’s a farcical decision.
Will Bowen be on the plane for Qatar?
Not sure. Purely, on the basis of performance, he is nowhere near the levels he was at last season.
He clearly has made a sluggish start to the season and needs to raise his level after the international break.
The left-footed winger hasn’t looked sharp yet, which is a bit of a surprise. In fact, West Ham haven’t picked up their gears yet, and find themselves 18th in the table.
David Moyes has added lots of new faces, and it will take some time for him to integrate.
However, considering the circumstances, and the current form, with Grealish absent, completing keeping Bowen out makes little sense.