Mohammed Kudus has been a shadow of his former self this season. Well we remember his ‘worldie’ goals last year, running the whole length of the pitch, taking on about twenty defenders and scoring. The trouble is, that is all we have – memories. This season he has been a grumbling, selfish, schoolboy-version of his former self, greedy, not passing, determined to try and take on the whole world. With predictable results.
His dressing room bust-up with Lopetegui and frequent social media spats whilst on international duty seem to epitomise his frustration.
Switched last night to an ‘inside right’ position by his new head coach, the results were, for coach Graham Potter at least, much more satisfactory.
As reported by The Mirror Graham Potter spoke about the Ghanaian after the game: “Mo was really dangerous. He’s got some good attributes. He worked really well, first-half, pressing, won some balls. Carried a threat. He was affected by the team in the second-half because it was more difficult for him to get into the game.”
And then the new Hammers’ head coach seemed to hint that he’s made the decision about future Kudus – Bowen deployment:
“I was encouraged. He [ Kudus] played more centrally than he has done for a bit. He quite likes that central role to the right. He comes in on that left foot and he’s a threat. He offers us a good option, absolutely.”
Interesting indeed, since that is -or was- skipper Bowen’s favoured position. So, especially in the absence of a new recruit in January, top scorer Bowen may well be destined for the striker role when he returns from his foot fracture sometime hopefully in February.
If that is the case, with Summerville playing the wing-back role, Graham Potter in one evening may well have uncovered West Ham’s perfect three-player combo to cause mayhem and also – from ‘Summerville the wing-back’s defensive heroics – be on the way to closing the defensive holes that have prevented multiple clean sheets this season.
Waste of Bowen’s skills to play him as a centre forward, he has not got the height or build and would get kicked to pieces. Bowen is one of the best outside rights in the business, leave him there.
Totally agree 👍
Both Bowen and Kudus are good enough and flexible enough to switch roles during a game as the opportunity presents.
Yup, no eureka moment or rocket science revelations here! It hasn’t made that much of a difference wherever Kudus has played this season. He just hasn’t had the same impact as last season. He can be great to watch but he can frustrate when he doesn’t pass the ball to someone in a better position to score. I’d rather see Bowen keep the right flank as he is the complete player and unselfish.
It’s very difficult for any team to play with 10 players on the pitch and that’s what we have when Ings is on the field.
His time is up now as a premiership player
You could of paid me and many supporters a lot less money than Potter is on if that was his great insight to the team….most supporters have been saying this all season.