JARROD BOWEN came in for some criticism over his ‘passive onlooker’ role as the Lucas Paquetá double yellow fiasco unfolded against Liverpool. As West Ham’s captain many, including several at Claret and Hugh felt Bowen should have been far more forceful in removing the Brazilian from the ref’s radar after he argued his way into the first card.

It is not a criticism of Bowen the player, who every West Ham fan loves – simply a recognition that he’s never going to be a ‘blood and thunder’ skipper, quick to bawl out his team mates nor get in their ear if they fail to perform. It’s just not in his DNA.

Nuno has made his own opinion of his West Ham captain crystal clear and come out 100% in support of Bowen, offering a thinly veiled rebuke to those of us who have been wondering whether Bowen’s tenure is detracting from his own game too.

Nuno’s words are a show of support for West Ham’s captain

In his pre- Brighton press conference, Espírito Santo went out of his way to underline his position on Bowen and the armband:

“And I will say I’m very pleased with the work of Jarrod,” Sky Sports’ reported Nuno’s words:. We are very happy to have him as a captain. He leads by example and he did an amazing game”.

It is a mark of the man, in fact, if his performances have been impacted by the club’s struggles in recent months. Who wouldn’t be weighed down by having to work under four different managers in a year and a half and now mired in a relegation-zone crisis. However, if Nuno feels that Bowen is the man for the job, that’s good enough for me.

A couple of goals to celebrate Bowen’s return to form would be perfect this weekend. He did look pretty cream crackered by the end of the Old Trafford draw – three days recovery is far from ideal and no Crysencio Summerville again puts pressure on Bowen to lead the attack alone. In the last week Bowen has had to endure the downside of the responsibilities associated with being West Ham’s skipper: An upside would be as welcome for us as for the Hammers’ legend himself.