Journalist Dean Jones believes that Flynn Downes will have to bide his time before he is given a chance in the Premier League following West Ham’s poor start to the season.
The boyhood Irons fan was signed for £12m from Swansea City this summer but has so far only appeared in the dying seconds of their season opener with Manchester City in their top-flight campaign.
However, the 23-year-old showed his worth in last week’s Europa Conference League clash against FCSB by posting a 7.3 SofaScore match rating, ranking second among his team-mates who started the game.
Journalist Joshua Mbu called for the midfielder to start West Ham’s game against Newcastle United last weekend before it was postponed, but Jones believes that the youngster’s Premier League chances will be limited.
Speaking about Downes to GIVEMESPORT, the journalist said: “He’s got to convince David Moyes, first and foremost, that he’s worth that chance in the Premier League.
“It’s really tough to give him chances in the league because they didn’t start well. You can’t just start taking a chance on a player that you haven’t seen at a high enough level.”
Tough competition for places
Last season, Downes was the Championship’s most accurate passer (92.6%) and was praised by his Swansea manager Russell Martin as ‘incredible’, but it appears that Tomas Soucek still holds the starting spot alongside Declan Rice in David Moyes’ engine room at West Ham.
The Czech Republic enforcer ranks second among his team-mates for average SofaScore match rating (7.03) just behind Rice in the top flight, while he is first for blocks, second for tackles and third for interceptions per 90 minutes at the club this season (WhoScored).
Also, with the Irons in the bottom three of the league, it may only be in Europe where Downes is handed regular minutes for now. However, a few more performances like that against FCSB last week will surely not go unrecognised by Moyes, and the 23-year-old may well come into contention for a more regular Premier League place as the season progresses if he can make the most of whatever opportunities he gets in the meantime.
