The Hammers boss is unfazed by widespread speculation that he has fallen out with the midfielder and possibly lost the dressing room
West Ham United coach Julen Lopetegui has denied reports that there was a serious clash of emotions between himself and Ghana international Mohammed Kudus resulting into altercations.
With West Ham trailing 1-0 at half time against Brentford in the Premier League last weekend, the Spaniard coach surprisingly substituted Kudus – who was one of his top performers on the day. Although, initial rumours were that the former Ajax star had picked up an injury, Lopetegui later insisted that he made that tactical decision because some of his players were not playing according to his plan.
Since then, reports have been circulating that some members of the West Ham technical staff had to separate Lopetegui and Kudus because the midfielder was not happy with the decision since he even believe the coach is always playing him out of position to expose his weaknesses.
Before the arrival of Lopetegui, Kudus was played on the right wing or as an auxiliary striker and was allowed space in the midfield to operate freely but things have changed dramatically this season.
“It’s normal for a player to be unhappy when substituted, but the priority is always the team,” Lopetegui said ahead of Saturday’s home game against Ipswich Town in London.
“It was a tactical change [to save the team], nothing more. It wasn’t just him; Emerson was also substituted. With five substitutions allowed, you aim to improve the team in the second half, especially if you’re trailing.”
He added, “I don’t dwell on individual reactions or substitutions; for me, it was all part of the game,” he concluded.
Kudus will be joining Ghana teammates after the weekend games as the Black Stars face Sudan in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.