West Ham Manager Subtly Questions Mohammed Kudus’ Ability to Play as a Team Player

• West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui has subtly questioned Mohammed Kudus' compatibility as a team player
• Lopetegui, explaining why he took off Kudus, suggested his decision might be more than tactical
• Nonetheless, both coach and player will be looking forward to ending their poor run with a win against Ipswich in their next fixture

West Ham United manager Julen Lopetegui has raised eyebrows with comments that seemingly suggest Mohammed Kudus may not be fully embracing the team ethos following their 1-1 draw with Brentford on Saturday.

Kudus, who quickly became a fan favourite in East London after an impressive debut season, has struggled to replicate that form in the current campaign.

Mohammed Kudus has drawn blank in his opening six games for West Ham in the Premier League this season. Photo by Rob Newell - CameraSport.
Source: UGC

Kudus substituted at half-time

Despite starting all six Premier League games for the Hammers, the 24-year-old Ghanaian has yet to register a goal or assist this season, as noted by Transfermarkt.

His frustrating spell hit a low point when he was substituted at halftime during the draw with Brentford.

Kudus was replaced by Carlos Soler after a not-so-impressive first-half display, with West Ham trailing 1-0 due to Bryan Mbuemo’s early strike.

Without the former Ajax attacker on the pitch, the Hammers found an equaliser just 10 minutes into the second half, raising questions about the timing and rationale behind his substitution.

West Ham boss suggests Kudus is 'selfish'

Lopetegui’s post-match comments hinted that the decision was more than just tactical.

He suggested that removing Kudus helped restore balance to the team, indirectly implying that the Ghanaian's performance may have lacked the necessary collective focus.

"The second half, we worked as a team, and for me, this is a very important step," Lopetegui remarked, as quoted by The Standard. He added, "I highlighted the behaviour in the second half because I think we put on the pitch what we needed."

Was Kudus the only player substituted at halftime?

The decision wasn’t limited to Kudus alone.

Former Chelsea left-back Emerson Palmieri was also subbed off at halftime, with Konstantinos Mavropanos coming on in his place.

Is Mohammed Kudus better than Vinicius Jr?

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that former Ghanaian midfielder Charles Asampong Taylor firmly believes Mohammed Kudus is a superior player to Vinicius Jr.

Despite Vinicius leading Real Madrid to La Liga and Champions League success last season while Kudus finished trophyless, Taylor has openly backed the Hammers' standout over the Brazilian.

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Source: YEN.com.gh