The Mohammed Kudus suspension may well end up working in West Ham United manager Julen Lopetegui’s favour.
Mohammed Kudus and Julen Lopetegui have hardly been a match made in heaven since the Spaniard took over at West Ham.
The Ghanian has already felt the wrath of Lopetegui, after his half-time falling out with the 58-year-old during our clash with Brentford.
And then there was an incredibly frosty interaction between the two, when Kudus walked off the pitch after being sent off during our defeat to Tottenham.
Since then, it has emerged that the 24-year-old has been charged by the FA for acting in an improper manner and for violent conduct.
It’s all doom and gloom at the London Stadium right now, and Lopetegui has a lot of hard work lying ahead of him.
The Spaniard is under serious pressure to get things right, and fast.
However, maybe the Hammers head coach can use the Kudus suspension as inspiration…
Why Mohammed Kudus suspension could save Julen Lopetegui
The thought of losing Kudus for a lengthy period of time is obviously a concerning one.
Here is the message posted on X by the official spokesperson for the FA:
— FA Spokesperson (@FAspokesperson) October 22, 2024
However, there’s no need to panic. I actually think it could end up working in our favour, as crazy as that sounds!
Firstly, Kudus’s absence, whether that be for three games, or six, will force Lopetegui into starting Crysencio Summerville.
The 22-year-old joined the Hammers from Leeds United in the summer for a fee believed to be worth around £20 million.
However, to suggest that Lopetegui has eased him into action would be an understatement.
Summerville possesses everything that we lack in the final third right now, what with his explosive pace, incredible movement and direct playing style.
However, due to Lopetegui’s insistence on starting Kudus out wide on the left, Summerville hasn’t been given a proper chance to prove his worth yet.
And with the Ghanaian not set to be back until November at the earliest, now could be the former Leeds man’s time to shine.
Kudus suspension could ease pressure on West Ham
Secondly, Kudus’s absence may well relieve the pressure on Lopetegui in a funny way.
Without the ability to call upon his best player and most dangerous attacker, will expectations on West Ham be lowered? Possibly so.
It might actually free up the Hammers’ attack. Too often we’re far too reliant on the brilliant Mohammed Kudus to make things happen, and it makes our attacking passages of play fairly one-dimensional at times.
Don’t get me wrong, Mohammed Kudus will be a big miss whilst he sits out through suspension, of course he will.
However, Julen Lopetegui has to make it work, because if he doesn’t he could find himself out of a job very soon indeed.
And weirdly, Kudus’s absence may well end up relieving the pressure on the Spaniard’s shoulders somewhat.
Either way, he needs a result against Manchester United. Whether the Hammers are capable of picking up all three points remains to be seen though.
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