Mohammed Kudus fails to turn up after West Ham United defeat v Chelsea
Mohammed Kudus is yet to turn up for West Ham United this season despite being a “fantastic” player, Joe Cole has said.
Speaking before the Irons’ 3-0 home defeat to Chelsea on 21 September, Cole insisted that Kudus was the best new signing in the Premier League last season.
Kudus managed 14 goals and six assists in all competitions across his first campaign at the London Stadium, but is yet to find the net so far this season amid a poor start overall from the Hammers.
Tailing to TNT Sports pre-match, Cole said: “Kudus hasn’t turned up yet this year to the levels we’ve seen him, but for me he was the buy of the season last year.
“He’s a fantastic player.”
Mohammed Kudus and West Ham yet to fire so far this season
Kudus is certainly not alone when it comes to slow starts made in claret and blue this season, and he cut a frustrated, often isolated figure amid one-way traffic in Chelsea’s favour at the London Stadium.
Denied a first-half goal, which would have cut Chelsea’s then 2-0 lead in half, by the offside flag, he remained one of the Hammers’ most dangerous players despite the hosts having very few chances.
The Ghanaian has been used on both the left and right flanks by Julen Lopetegui this season, but has so far been unable to make much of an impact from out wide with the Irons losing three of their five games.
Lopetegui will undoubtedly be coming under increasing pressure in the wake of a below-par 3-0 defeat by to Chelsea; unable to get the best out of Kudus in a third-straight home loss.
With the likes of Luis Guilherme and Crysencio Summerville at his disposal – both signed this summer – the pressure will also be on Kudus to re-discover some of last season’s fantastic form.
In other West Ham news, a major European club’s sporting director has given his verdict on one transfer to East London this summer.
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