Don Hutchison shares Mohammed Kudus verdict at West Ham United v Backa Topola
Don Hutchison was full of praise for the way Goran Antonic dealt with Mohammed Kudus early in the game as West Ham struggled to break down Backa Topola, saying the Ghanaian would be his “worst nightmare”.
Hutchison was happy with what he saw from Kudus, with his ability with the ball at his feet shining despite struggling to break down the defence of their Serbian opponents early in their Europa League clash.
Kudus played out wide on the right-hand side for the Hammers, where he was able to pick up the ball and drive inside to cause trouble for the defence and make the difference for West Ham out wide.
Speaking live on commentary for TNT Sports [20:24], Hutchison stated: “That’s good defending from the skipper because that’s your worst nightmare when you’re inside your own 18-yard box and you’ve got someone like Mohammed Kudus running at you.”
A promising start to his West Ham career
Kudus’ confidence on the ball, albeit when facing, weaker opponents, with respect to the Serbian side, will be something fans of the East London side will be excited to see more of at the London Stadium as he eases his way into the first-team under David Moyes.
Hutchinson later described the new arrival as having a “wand of a left foot” as he looked to provide West Ham’s biggest threat to break down the defence and provide the match-winning moment.
West Ham struggled to break down the deep block early in the game, with Kudus looking the most likely man to change the scoreline with his dancing feet and confidence, as he also displayed his willingness to shoot from distance to test the goalkeeper.
In what was a largely frustrating first-half performance, Kudus’ display was probably the bright spark and will be raising the anticipation of those keenly watching his display on his first start for the Hammers since his highly-regarded signing from Ajax in the summer.
In other West Ham news, one player is targeting renewed European success this season.