Understandably, West Ham head coach Julen Lopetegui was unwilling to discuss any specifics regarding last weekend’s well-publicised row with Mohammed Kudus.
The Spaniard spoke during his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s Premier League fixture against Ipswich Town, where one got the impression he would rather be somewhere else.
This is not to level any criticism at Lopetegui, who wisely dodged the Kudus question, although he may have been grateful for the journalists’ reluctance to press him on the matter.
All he would say was, “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 how to be able to be strong is to play as a team.”
Realistically, there is little else the Hammers boss could say about the situation, and I’m quite hopeful that as long as the Ghanaian is selected in the starting lineup at the weekend, the story will dissipate.
In many respects, the reported dressing room clash possibly diverted attention away from the team’s poor form ahead of what is surely a must-win game for West Ham.