Thewolfest Ham United manager Julen Lopetegui has been speaking to the media ahead of their Premier League clash with Ipswich Town.
It’s been an eventful week off the pitch for the Hammers with reports suggesting that Mohammed Kudus and Lopetegui clashed in the dressing room against Brentford. Kudus was substituted by Lopetegui at half-time, and Carlos Soler was introduced, but the Ghanaian international didn’t react well.
The Hammers are now preparing to face Ipswich on Saturday, and it will be interesting to see whether Lopetegui opts to keep Kudus in the starting XI. The Spanish manager has now spoken to the media about the Kudus incident and team news for the clash against The Tractor Boys.
Kudus was discussed
Lopetegui was asked about Kudus and Lucas Paqueta and how important it is that players play for the team rather than for themselves…
“Again, it’s important the team plays well, rather than one or two players. Football is a collective game, and the only way I know to be able to be strong is to play as a team.”
After the game against Brentford, Lopetegui stressed that the Kudus substitution was for tactical reasons and hinted that he wanted his players to work as a team.
“It was for tactical reasons. The second half we worked as a team, and for me this is a very important step. I highlighted the behaviour in the second half because I think we put on the pitch what we needed.”
| Mohammed Kudus’ Premier League statistics – West Ham squad ranking, 23/24 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stats | Output | Squad rank |
| Appearances | 33 | =6th |
| Assists | 6 | =3rd |
| Key Passes Per Game | 0.8 | =5th |
| Shots Per Game | 2 | 2nd |
| Dribbles Per Game | 3.8 | 1st |
| Match rating | 7.23 | 1st |
According to The Athletic, Kudus and Lopetegui had a ‘frank exchange of words’ in the aftermath of the substitution, with the former Ajax man not pleased with being taken off. Lopetegui wasn’t happy with Kudus’ performance, while the West Ham attacker felt his criticism was unfair.
A report from talkSPORT has downplayed exaggerated stories on the incident, with West Ham sources suggesting that it wasn’t as much of an ‘altercation’ as being portrayed.
West Ham Team News for Ipswich Clash
Fullkrug is out injured
Speaking to the media, Lopetegui has also provided an update on his squad’s injury situation. The West Ham boss has confirmed that German international Niclas Fullkrug won’t be available and is having some fitness problems at the moment. Lopetegui hopes that Fullkrug will be able to return after the international break.
In more positive news, Lopetegui adds that there are no other injury problems for the Hammers and the manager will have the rest of his squad to pick from for the Ipswich game. It’s been a disappointing start to the season for West Ham, so having an almost fully-fit squad will be hugely beneficial.
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